After months spent unsuccessfully trying to remove the Meta AI button, WhatsApp users may have stumbled upon a fix. On social media, some are suggesting switching to an alternate version of the app, which allegedly lacks the controversial AI feature.
It’s called “WhatsApp Business”, and is primarily used by business owners to communicate with customers. Like WhatsApp, it's completely free to use and available to anyone with a valid phone number.
“Shift over to WhatsApp business which doesn't have the s****y AI feature yet,” commented a user on a Reddit thread about the divisive new button.
While several other users claimed that this technique worked, one user said they were still shown the AI on WhatsApp Business.
Alas, because Meta AI isn’t widely available in the UK yet, we couldn’t test this workaround for ourselves.
However, if you really want to give it a try, there are a few caveats you should be aware of. For one, you’ll need to set up a business profile, entering details like your company name, website, and email, which might feel like a bit of a faff just to dodge a chatbot.
Additionally, your account will be labeled as a "Business Account", signaling to contacts that it's meant for professional use, not casual chats. This will inevitably raise some eyebrows among your mates, who may think you’re up to something fishy.
If, after doing all of that, the AI is still present, you're out of luck on iPhone, but you may have an option on Android. In that case, you can downgrade the app by downloading an older version from a trusted source. A handy guide is available here to walk you through the process.
For the unfamiliar, Meta recently added an AI button to WhatsApp in the UK and other regions after previously debuting the new feature in its native US.
The digital assistant can answer questions, help you plan events, or even chat casually. Available across Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp, the bot can generate text, images, and videos, with features varying slightly across platforms — on Instagram, for instance, users can build their own AI chatbots.
Needless to say, the change hasn’t gone down well with WhatsApp users. Complaints range from the annoying appearance of the AI button to concerns about forced interactions with Meta’s AI. Some users have even reported that the update is crashing the app entirely.
