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Goodbye typos! WhatsApp’s new AI writing assistant could change how you text forever

WhatsApp's new 'Writing Help Assistant' would work like a small editor inside your chat box

Representative image | Reuters

We have all been there. You type out a message, read it back and then start second-guessing yourself: Does it sound rude? Too stiff? Too wordy?

WhatsApp is testing something that might help.

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It is called the 'Writing Help Assistant' and works like a small editor inside your chat box. Before you send a text, it can suggest a different version, almost like a friend leaning over your shoulder saying, “Try this instead.”

How it works

For now, only a small group of iPhone users on TestFlight (version 25.22.10.74) can try it.

The assistant can fix spelling, shorten long sentences, or adjust the tone to make a message sound more polite or more direct. For example, it can change a blunt "Call me now" into a warmer "Could you give me a quick call when you’re free?" It also helps trim down extra words so your message feels clear and simple.

What about privacy?

Any mention of AI naturally raises concerns about privacy.

WhatsApp says this tool uses Meta’s Private Processing system, which means the suggestions are created securely and then disappear. Your text is not stored, not scanned, and not visible to WhatsApp or Meta.

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In one of its Help Centre FAQs, the company explains:

Private Processing is a secure technology from Meta that enables certain optional Meta AI features, like summarising messages and providing writing help … no one, not even Meta or WhatsApp, can read or access your personal messages.”

Why it’s useful

More than 2.8 billion people use WhatsApp every day.

A tool like this could take some of the pressure out of writing. Whether it is a quick message to a colleague, a tricky apology or a joke in the family group, it might help you sound a little clearer and a little more confident.

For now, the feature is still in testing, but if it proves useful, it may soon sit inside your keyboard as an extra helping hand.