WhatsApp tests AI writing assistant with 5 tone options for messages

WhatsApp has started testing “Writing Help,” an AI-powered feature that suggests message improvements based on user-selected tones, currently available to iOS beta testers through TestFlight. The tool represents Meta’s latest push to integrate AI assistance across its messaging platforms, offering users five different tone options to refine their messages before sending them.

How it works: Writing Help activates when users enable Private Processing in app settings and begin typing a short phrase in the chat input field.

• The sticker icon in the chat bar transforms into a pen symbol, indicating AI assistance is available for writing suggestions.
• Users can tap the pen icon to request improvements to structure, tone, or clarity before sending their message.
• The feature offers “at least three” alternative phrasings based on the user’s chosen tone preference.

The tone options: Writing Help provides five distinct approaches to message refinement, each serving different communication needs.

• Rephrase: improves clarity and flow without changing the original meaning.
• Professional: adjusts language for more formal conversations.
• Funny: adds a lighter or humorous twist to messages.
• Supportive: softens tone and aims to be more uplifting.
• Proofread: fixes spelling and grammar issues.

Privacy and processing: Meta emphasizes that Writing Help operates under strict privacy controls and remains entirely opt-in for users.

• The feature is powered by Meta’s “Private Processing” system, the same architecture behind Meta AI features in other apps.
• The AI assistant is disabled by default and must be manually activated by users.
• Meta claims it doesn’t store user data, processes messages anonymously with encryption, and only analyzes the current message in the input field without scanning conversation history.
• Recipients see no indication that AI assistance was used in message creation.

What’s next: While there’s no specific timeline for the official release, Meta’s aggressive rollout of AI-based features suggests broader availability shouldn’t be far off.

• The feature is currently limited to TestFlight beta testers on iOS, following the same testing approach used for the Android version.
• Meta’s continued investment in AI-powered communication tools indicates Writing Help will likely join the company’s expanding suite of AI features across its platform ecosystem.