WhatsApp is quietly turning its built-in assistant into something that behaves less like a chatbot and more like a careful problem solver. The new “thinking mode” for Meta AI promises answers that are deeper, more accurate, and better structured, rather than just fast one-liners. It is a small toggle with big implications for how people will plan trips, study, or even run small businesses directly inside their chats.
Instead of forcing everyone into a single style of response, WhatsApp is starting to let users decide when they want speed and when they want reflection. That choice, combined with broader upgrades coming to the app in 2026, signals a shift toward messaging that doubles as a serious productivity and research tool.
What WhatsApp’s new ‘thinking mode’ actually does
At its core, thinking mode is an option inside Meta AI that trades instant replies for more deliberate reasoning. When I switch it on, the assistant is designed to spend a little longer processing my question so it can deliver answers that are more detailed, logically ordered, and less likely to miss important context. Reporting on the feature describes it as a way to move beyond quick chat-style banter and toward responses that feel closer to a mini report or step-by-step guide, especially for complex prompts that involve planning, comparison, or explanation.
WhatsApp’s own overview of Meta AI frames the assistant as a tool that can help with everyday tasks, from drafting messages to brainstorming ideas, and thinking mode is meant to sharpen that role. Separate coverage notes that WhatsApp is developing this mode specifically to deliver “deeper, more accurate and better-structured answers,” while still keeping the option of brief replies with minimal delay when users prefer speed over depth, a balance highlighted in reports on Meta AI inside the app.
Speed mode, thinking mode, and how the toggle works
The new feature does not replace the existing behavior of Meta AI, it sits alongside it. By default, the assistant still operates in a fast-response setting that prioritizes minimal delay, even if the answer is shorter or less nuanced. That default is designed for quick lookups, casual questions, or moments when I just want a fast clarification without waiting. According to testing details from the Android beta, this quick setting remains the standard experience, and the more reflective option is something I actively choose when I need it.
When I enable thinking mode, the assistant signals that enhanced reasoning is active and then takes extra time to process my request before replying. Technical notes from the Android testing build explain that this mode is intended to produce richer insights without requiring extra follow-up questions from the user. A separate description of the same beta clarifies that the quick setting is the one with “minimal delay,” and that users can visually confirm when the more advanced reasoning mode is active, as outlined in the notes on how “this mode is minimal delay” compared with the enhanced option in the 2.26.3.10 build.
Rolling out through Android beta and the Google Play Beta Program
Thinking mode is emerging first in test versions of WhatsApp rather than in the main consumer app. Earlier this year, the company pushed a new update for Android beta users through the Google Play Beta Program, raising the version to 2.26.3.10 and tying it to the broader 2.26.3.1 branch. That rollout, which specifically references the figures 2.26 and 3.1, is where testers first began seeing the option to choose how Meta AI should respond. The same development path is echoed in a separate note that WhatsApp has released a new update for Android beta testers through the Google Play Beta, underscoring that this is still a controlled experiment rather than a full public release.
From a user’s perspective, that beta-first strategy matters. It means the interface for switching between quick replies and thinking mode can still change, and it gives WhatsApp room to adjust how often the assistant suggests the deeper option. Reporting on the feature notes that WhatsApp is working on a new way to enhance the user experience by letting people choose Meta AI’s “thinking mode,” and that this choice is part of a broader effort to make the assistant more intuitive and give the platform a competitive edge, as described in coverage of how Meta AI is evolving inside chats.
Why Meta AI’s ‘thinking’ matters for everyday chats
For most people, the value of this feature will show up in small, practical moments. If I am planning a weekend trip, I can ask Meta AI to compare train and flight options, suggest a two-day itinerary, and flag budget trade-offs, all inside a group chat. In thinking mode, the assistant is meant to lay out those options in a more structured way, instead of giving a single generic suggestion. That same pattern applies to students asking for help understanding a physics concept, or to a shop owner drafting a detailed product announcement for customers.
Reports on the upgrade emphasize that Meta AI is being tuned to assist with everyday tasks and to provide more reasoned answers that can stand on their own, rather than forcing users to keep probing with follow-up questions. One analysis notes that WhatsApp is adding this mode so the assistant can better help people plan, learn, and organize, and that the goal is to make Meta AI for chat feel competitive with other advanced AI assistants that already focus on reasoning, as highlighted in coverage of how Meta AI for WhatsApp is expected to assist with everyday tasks.
From metacognition research to WhatsApp’s competitive play
Behind the marketing term “thinking mode” sits a broader shift in AI research toward systems that can reflect on their own reasoning. Researchers describe this as a form of artificial metacognition, where an AI can evaluate whether its first answer is reliable, consider alternatives, and sometimes decide it should defer to others. One recent framework explains that this approach does not give machines consciousness or true self-awareness in the human sense, and explicitly notes that “Our framework does not give machines consciousness or true self-awareness in the human sense. Instead, our hope is that they will be better at knowing when they should defer to others,” a perspective laid out in work on artificial metacognition.
WhatsApp’s thinking mode is not a research paper, but it borrows the same intuition: sometimes it is better for an AI to slow down, check its own reasoning, and then answer. Strategically, this helps Meta AI stand out in a crowded field of assistants that already live in browsers, phones, and smart speakers. Reporting on the feature notes that WhatsApp is teasing a smarter Meta AI thinking mode as part of a push to keep pace with other advanced AI assistants, and that this is framed as a way to make the messaging app feel like a more powerful hub for information and planning, as seen in coverage of how Meta AI is being positioned.
