WhatsApp is rolling out chats with third-party agents to a limited number of iPhone beta testers. This was noticed in the WhatsApp beta app for iOS 26.37.10.70 via TestFlight. At this stage, only a small group of users in some countries can try the feature. This is not a brand-new idea for WhatsApp. The company has already tried third-party agent chats on Android.
That earlier test showed up in beta 2.26.35.3 on September 4. The wording matters here. WhatsApp’s own terms describe AI agents, bots, and other automated services. That means a “third-party agent” is not always an AI system. An AI agent is just one type inside the wider third-party agent setup.
How the WhatsApp third-party agent’s feature works
Third-party developers build and run these agents. WhatsApp only offers the platform that links the agents to users. WhatsApp’s own terms say these third-party agents are separate services. Independent agent providers make, own, and run them.
WhatsApp does not build or operate them. People may link to agents made by other providers. They may also link agents they created themselves. In both cases, users can use third-party tools and code. WhatsApp lets users connect up to five third-party agents at once.
WhatsApp also notes that this cap could be changed later. To set up an agent, you use an API key. WhatsApp creates the key. The user copies it and then pastes it into the external place where the agent is hosted. A user can also add a display name and a profile picture for the agent. If the connection needs to be reset, the user can request a new API key.
Right now, third-party agents only work in one-to-one chats. WABetaInfo says they do not work in groups or Communities, so they cannot be added there.
Agents don’t automatically get access to other WhatsApp Chats
Linking an agent does not unlock the rest of a person’s WhatsApp account. WhatsApp’s Help Center says third-party agents can see only what the user shares with them. WABetaInfo also says the agent cannot pull in unrelated conversations, contacts, or device media on its own.
The agent only gets what the user sends inside the agent’s dedicated chat. So, simply connecting an outside agent doesn’t automatically grant access to personal WhatsApp messages.
WhatsApp Third-Party Agent Chats Are Not End-to-End Encrypted
Main security detail: these chats are not end-to-end encrypted.
The key issue is encryption. Normal WhatsApp personal messages use end-to-end encryption. For third-party agents, messages are still encrypted using the Signal encryption protocol before they leave the device. After that, they are sent to the destination chosen for the agent. But WhatsApp says a secure Meta service handles these chats for the agent provider.
As a result, the chats are not treated as end-to-end encrypted. What this means for privacy in practice is clear. WhatsApp’s Third Party Agent Terms say the Agent Provider receives, processes, and stores the messages unencrypted. This also depends on each agent’s data-handling steps.
For that reason, people should not treat what they share with a third-party agent as the same level of protection as a normal end-to-end encrypted personal chat.
Third-party agents are not the same as Meta AI
With third-party agents, outside developers or companies build and run the tools, not WhatsApp. Meta handles Meta AI itself. It runs as its own AI feature and follows its own set of rules. WhatsApp also says something important about privacy.
It says normal personal chats stay end-to-end encrypted. It also says it shares some data with Meta AI only through the actions a user decides to take with Meta AI. Third-party agents work as outside services. They connect through WhatsApp’s 3P Agent Platform.
Third-Party Agents and Third-Party Chats
These two terms are easy to mix up, but they mean different things. Third-party agents are automated services, including bots and AI agents. They connect through the 3P Agent Platform. Third-party chats are part of WhatsApp’s interoperability effort. That work helps people message users on other apps. It often raises regulatory needs in the European Union. So, they are separate features. They each serve a different purpose.
No Public Release Date Is Confirmed
WhatsApp has not shared a confirmed launch date for this iOS feature. For now, it is still in a small beta phase. WABetaInfo says only a small set of users can try it. Access is limited to certain countries. Users get it through TestFlight.
WhatsApp also includes a warning about third parties. It does not back, check, or promise third-party agents or what they produce.
The Agent Provider is accountable for an agent’s conduct, actions, and content and whether that content is correct. WhatsApp’s Help Center adds another note. It says generative AI answers may be wrong or not fit the situation. For anything important, you should verify the results yourself.
Final Thoughts
WhatsApp is testing chat features from third-party agents with a small group of iOS beta users. If this expands later, WhatsApp could become a main place to use agent tools and automated services. At this point, though, the rollout is still narrow. Only some beta users and some countries are included. WhatsApp has not confirmed a public release date.
Privacy is a key issue here. Third-party agents don’t automatically get access to unrelated chats. Still, messages that you send on purpose can be taken in, handled, and saved by the Agent Provider. This can happen outside WhatsApp’s usual end-to-end encrypted system.