What is Meta's AI button on WhatsApp and how can it be removed?
The chatbot feature within the Meta app is being rolled out in more countries. Below, we provide some important details, including how to disable it.
Recently, you may have noticed a new light blue circle in your WhatsApp chats and wondered what it is about. Meta has expanded its implementation of Meta AI to new markets, and it is now available in various regions. After its initial launch in the United States and Canada in 2023, this artificial intelligence-based assistant has started to reach devices in European countries such as the United Kingdom, as well as in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and India.
This new feature is also being integrated into the Meta ecosystem, which includes Messenger and Instagram. It offers basic features such as answering questions, generating text, or creating content. However, its appearance has raised concerns about user privacy and questions about whether it can be disabled.
Features of the Meta AI Button on WhatsApp
The button that provides access to Meta AI on WhatsApp appears above the icon to start a new chat on Android and in the lower right corner on iOS. Through this button, users can interact directly with the Meta assistant. They can also mention @Meta AI in their conversations to ask questions, and the assistant will appear in users' personal contact lists.
The chatbot is based on the Llama 3.2 language model, which is open source. Similar to ChatGPT when it arrived at WhatsApp, Meta AI has started with a limited number of functions that are deemed most useful for users, such as helping to generate and improve texts or searching for information on the web. More features are expected to be added in the future.
What Happens to Your Data?
Meta assures that its assistant cannot access or read the content of your messages unless you request its help, and even in those cases, the messages maintain their end-to-end encryption. Additionally, any details will not be associated with other Meta accounts, such as those on Facebook or Instagram. It's important to note that while the content of private messages is encrypted, interactions with Meta AI are not. The company warns that anything sent to Meta could be used to improve its AI models, so users should avoid sending sensitive information.
How to Remove Meta AI from WhatsApp?
If you are not interested in this feature, there is currently no option to disable or remove Meta AI from WhatsApp. The only alternative is to ignore the button, although it will remain in the app. However, if you have already used the feature and prefer not to, you can reset Meta AI at the individual chat level or generally. Simply deleting a chat with Meta AI is not enough; you will need to use specific reset commands.
To reset Meta AI in an individual chat, type /reset-ai in the corresponding chat. To do it across all chats, enter /reset-all-ais in a conversation with the chatbot.
How to Delete the Information Meta AI Has About Me?
If you have interacted with Meta AI, this assistant learns from those interactions to provide more accurate responses. It remembers details such as your favorite foods and sports, whether you have a pet, or if you are vegetarian. You can view, correct, and delete this information through the menus of the chatbot.
To consult the memory that Meta AI has about you, start a chat with the assistant and select Meta AI > Memory. From there, you can see everything it knows and delete specific memories by holding down on them and clicking on the trash can. You can also click on the three-dot icon and select "Delete All" to erase all information. If you find any incorrect information, simply communicate it to Meta AI in the chat so it can use the correct details in future interactions.