Is Meta AI’s Access in WhatsApp Groups Being Restricted?

The option to tag Meta AI in WhatsApp groups to receive answers to questions or messages has suddenly stopped working for some users, raising speculation that WhatsApp may have restricted the feature.  According to media reports, several users said that until recently, Meta AI would respond when it was tagged in a specific way during group conversations. However, this is no longer happening in some groups. Similar complaints have also emerged on the social media platform Facebook. According to the report, neither WhatsApp nor Meta has so far issued an official explanation regarding the matter.

Meanwhile, WhatsApp’s Help Center still lists the option to tag Meta AI during group conversations as an available and supported feature, indicating that there is no confirmation that the feature has been completely removed. Experts say one possible reason for the issue could be WhatsApp’s Advanced Chat Privacy setting. If this setting is enabled, it may affect the ability to tag Meta AI in the relevant conversation. However, several other technical issues could also be responsible for the problem. The report said that using an outdated version of WhatsApp could also interfere with Meta AI’s group functionality. Similarly, the phased rollout of new changes in different countries and regions is being cited as another possible reason, meaning that the same feature may not be available to all users at the same time.

Meanwhile, speculation is also circulating on social media that the Meta AI tagging feature may have been restricted or withdrawn due to concerns related to the encryption of group conversations. However, neither WhatsApp nor Meta has so far confirmed this claim. At present, reports that Meta AI’s group tagging feature has been completely removed cannot be considered conclusive. Based on the available information, the issue affecting some users could also be related to a temporary technical problem, a privacy setting, an outdated version of the app, or the phased rollout of changes in different regions. Despite complaints from users, until WhatsApp or Meta makes an official announcement, claims that the option to tag Meta AI in groups has been discontinued should be regarded as speculation only.