WhatsApp wants you using Meta AI through a dedicated widget now

Summary

• Meta AI widget is now integrated into WhatsApp for Android, offering more AI tools for users.
• WhatsApp focuses on AI features with Meta's resources, but may need to expand the scope of efforts to catch up with competitors.
• The beta version of WhatsApp includes the new Meta AI widget; stable release expected soon.

WhatsApp has been Meta's face and sole representative in the cutthroat instant messaging space, but it hasn't led the charge with new features. With AI coming into the picture, Meta's significant resources may give it the leg-up over other popular chat apps on Android. However, they aren't as useful if the AI isn't accessible. After plenty of experimentation and prominent placement, Meta AI now has its own widget integrated into WhatsApp.

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For decades, WhatsApp for Android had just a handful of widget options like chat shortcuts and a scrollable list of unread chats. Since the parent company Meta has introduced its AI tool, simply named Meta AI, WhatsApp has accommodated it as well. Thus far, we've seen this AI tool accessible through a floating action button, an in-conversation tag, and a dedicated search bar atop the list of your conversations.

Following an initial sighting in January, reputable WhatsApp beta feature trackers WABetaInfo recently spotted the new Meta AI widget rolling out widely to beta testers (via DigitalTrends). The app now has a dedicated 2x2 widget that can give you immediate access to the AI search field, camera for image search, and voice for audio prompts.

Now with immediate access to more options

AI may not be the most useful bit in a chat app, though

Source: WABetaInfo

Unlike previous iterations of this widget, WhatsApp now includes more AI tools you can access through the widget. However, you should remember Meta is merely offering this as an accessory service, and there are an assortment of purpose-built AI apps for Android that can deliver better or more specific results depending on your requirements. Given the limited user interest in AI accessories on a chat app, we wish WhatsApp and its devs focus on catching up with Telegram and offering feature parity across operating systems instead.

That said, the new AI widget design is still in beta. Development seems to be progressing rapidly, so we should see this in an upcoming stable version soon, considering it is already available widely on the beta channel.