WhatsApp keeps rolling out new tools that integrate Meta AI. The latest is Side Chat — a separate, private panel that opens directly inside an existing conversation. It lets you interact with Meta AI without other participants noticing, and without having to copy and paste messages somewhere else.

The feature arrives just weeks after the debut of incognito chats, another mode that lets you talk to Meta AI in total privacy. While incognito chats are designed for exploring general topics, Side Chat is built to give you concrete assistance inside an active conversation.

Side Chat is currently in testing, but a global rollout on Android and iOS is expected soon.

What is WhatsApp Side Chat?

Side Chat is a new way to access Meta AI on WhatsApp without leaving your current conversation. Instead of opening a separate chat with the assistant or mentioning it publicly with “@Meta AI,” you can open a dedicated panel and ask questions directly related to the conversation you’re in.

You can use it to get summaries of unread messages, retrieve information you missed, get suggested replies, or clarify something a contact mentioned — all without the other participants seeing any of it. That context-awareness is what sets Side Chat apart from every other AI feature WhatsApp has launched so far.

How it works

Side Chat runs on the same security architecture already powering WhatsApp’s incognito chats, automatic summaries, and AI writing tools: Private Processing.

When you ask Meta AI a question through the side panel, your request is processed inside an isolated, protected environment. Neither Meta nor WhatsApp can read your query. Once the response is delivered, the exchange is not stored anywhere.

The system has been independently audited by external cybersecurity firms — a stronger guarantee than a self-reported company declaration from Meta.

Side Chat is also compatible with Meta AI’s integrated web search, meaning you can get up-to-date answers on things outside the conversation itself, like restaurant hours or local details, without switching apps.

What it’s for

Side Chat was built in response to needs users have been expressing for months. A few concrete examples:

  • Catch up fast: ask for a summary of unread messages without scrolling through a hundred of them. Especially useful in large group chats.
  • Get reply suggestions: if you’re not sure what to say, Meta AI can suggest well-crafted responses that match the context of the conversation.
  • Clarify on the spot: if a contact mentions something you don’t understand, you can ask Meta AI to explain without leaving the chat to search elsewhere.
  • Plan group activities: ask for restaurant information or check on logistics while you’re still deciding with friends — without interrupting the conversation thread.

How is it different from incognito chats?

The underlying technology is the same, but the two modes serve different purposes. Incognito chats are for general, private exploration with Meta AI in a session that leaves no trace — but without access to any existing conversation context.

Side Chat, by contrast, is built specifically to draw on the context of a particular chat and deliver answers relevant to what’s actually being discussed.

There’s also a key difference from simply tagging Meta AI with “@” in a group chat. In that case, both the question and the answer are visible to all participants, and the exchange is not protected by Private Processing. With Side Chat, everything stays visible only to the person who opened the panel.

How to enable it

On devices where the feature is already available: open a WhatsApp conversation, swipe left on the screen, and tap Ask privately.

A secure panel opens with a few suggested prompts ready to use.

Note that Side Chat does not work in two specific situations, to preserve your privacy settings:

  • In chats with disappearing messages enabled — because Private Processing might still hold content temporarily.
  • In chats with Advanced Privacy active — the setting that blocks message export and AI features.

When is it arriving?

Side Chat is currently available only to a limited number of Android and iOS users as the testing phase expands gradually over the coming weeks.

Meta has not announced an official global release date. As with previous feature rollouts, the company will likely follow its standard multi-stage approach: test on Android, expand to iOS, hand off to beta testers, fix any bugs found, then push a full public release.

Once it’s live, updating WhatsApp to the latest version via the Play Store or App Store is all it takes. Enabling automatic updates means you won’t even have to check.

Editor’s note

This article was originally published in Italian on money.it by Pasquale Conte on July 6, 2026 as «Cos’è la nuova chat laterale di WhatsApp e a cosa serve». It has been translated and adapted for an international audience by the Money.it International desk.