Meta Launches Incognito Chat for WhatsApp

Meta has officially launched a new privacy feature for WhatsApp called Incognito Chat with Meta AI. This update is designed to give users a secure way to interact with AI without leaving a digital footprint.

While WhatsApp has long used end-to-end encryption for personal messages between people, AI interactions have typically been a different story. The new Incognito Chat changes this by creating a temporary, self-destructing space for these interactions.

The core of this new feature is what Meta calls Private Processing technology. When a user starts an incognito session, the conversation is handled in a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE). This is essentially a digital vault that processes data in isolation. Because of this setup, Meta says that not even its own engineers or systems can see what you are asking or what the AI is saying in return.

Once a user exits the chat, the entire session disappears. There are no server-side logs kept by Meta, and the history is not saved on the user’s phone.

Will Cathcart, the head of WhatsApp, explained that the move is a response to how people are using AI today. People are increasingly asking AI assistants about sensitive topics, including health, finances, and personal work details.

“We are starting to ask a lot of meaningful questions about our lives with AI systems,” Cathcart said. He noted that users should not feel forced to share the private details behind those questions with the companies running the AI.

To keep the experience safe, Incognito Chat includes built-in protections. If a user asks about harmful topics, the AI is programmed to steer them toward helpful information. If the behavior continues, the AI will refuse to answer or simply end the session.

The feature is rolling out to WhatsApp and the standalone Meta AI app this week.