WhatsApp is developing a new composer bar for its iOS and Android apps to make it easier to interact with Meta AI.
The bar will allow you to press and hold a floating Meta AI button to speak to the assistant.
WhatsApp regularly releases new features for its iOS and Android apps, with everything from secret codes for locked chats to chat filters and transcripts for voice messages having appeared in the last year. It was only last month we saw chat themes too, allowing you to make each chat different if you want to with coloured chat bubbles and new wallpapers.
But based on the latest report from WABetaInfo (via 91Mobiles), there's a huge update set to come at some point soon that involves Meta AI.
If you didn't already know, WhatsApp is owned by Meta, along with Facebook, Instagram and Threads, and you'll already find the Meta AI chatbot on devices like the Ray-Ban Meta Glasses, so it was really only a matter of time before it expanded further into the likes of WhatsApp.
What will Meta AI look like on WhatsApp?
According you to the WABetaInfo report, Meta is working on a redesigned interface for the WhatsApp Android and iOS mobile apps that will make interaction with Meta AI more seamless and intuitive. There is said to be a composer bar in development that organises tools for engaging with the AI assistant.
The feature is still in development so it's not available yet, though WABetaInfo has posted some screenshots of what it's expected to look like when it arrives.
Based on those grabs, there will be a floating Meta AI button that you will be able to press and hold to take you to a dedicated screen without having to open a chat first.
The shortcut will give you a quicker way of interacting with the Meta AI chatbot using your voice, and it will apparently only listen when the dedicated screen is up to ensure no background listening.
For transparency, a privacy indicator will appear in the status bar of your device when Meta AI is listening and this is controlled via your phone's operating system, so WhatsApp can't change the way that indicator behaves.
The new feature will also enable you to stop Meta AI listening at any time by you tapping on the microphone button or typing in the text field.
As mentioned, this floating Meta AI button isn't available yet, but it is reportedly in development, so could appear in a future WhatsApp update. Watch this space.
