New Delhi: On 27th August, WhatsApp announced a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature called Writing Help, designed to help users edit, rewrite, and adjust the tone of their messages before sending them. The feature aims to improve message quality by correcting grammar, rephrasing content, and offering alternative styles such as professional, humorous, or encouraging tones.
Private Processing ensures user privacy
Meta has highlighted that Writing Help leverages its Private Processing technology, ensuring that neither WhatsApp nor Meta can view the original messages or the AI-generated suggestions. All requests are processed through an encrypted and anonymous route, meaning they cannot be linked back to the sender.
This privacy-centric approach aligns with WhatsApp’s commitment to end-to-end encryption and secure messaging.
How the feature works
Users can activate Writing Help by tapping a small pencil icon that appears while drafting a message. Once activated, the AI provides suggestions to refine the text.
For example, a message like “Please don’t leave dirty socks on the sofa” can be transformed into humorous versions such as “Breaking news: Socks found chilling on the couch” or “Please don’t turn the sofa into a sock graveyard.”
This functionality is designed to give users creative and polished options while maintaining full control over what gets sent.
Optional and user-controlled
WhatsApp has clarified that Writing Help is an optional tool, disabled by default, and only works for individual messages chosen by the user. It does not analyse entire conversations or store any content. Furthermore, AI suggestions will only appear if the user explicitly engages with the feature.
Competing with external AI tools
With this rollout, WhatsApp is positioning its in-app AI capabilities as a convenient alternative to external AI writing tools like ChatGPT. By integrating this feature directly into chats, the platform aims to streamline message drafting and enhance user experience.
Conclusion
The addition of Writing Help signals WhatsApp’s push towards integrating AI in ways that are practical, privacy-oriented, and user-friendly. As AI features become more common across messaging platforms, WhatsApp’s approach emphasises user consent and encrypted processing to maintain trust.