Last read: 24 Oct 2026 · From Meta’s own pages
Meta AI: what happens to your chats
In 60 seconds
Training
Chats may be used to improve models; no training opt-out setting stated
Keeping and deleting
No fixed period stated; training data kept as long as needed, case by case
Human review
Reviewed in some cases, automated or human; Private Processing chats excluded
“Not stated” means the pages we read are silent on the point. It is not a statement that the practice does not exist. We do not score or rank products.
Change the training setting
Not stated in the vendor's help page.
Source: Meta: How Meta uses information for generative AI models and features, Meta: Change or delete AI chat info
Sources for the three answers above: Meta: How Meta uses information for generative AI models and features, Meta AIs Terms of Service, Meta Privacy Policy, Meta: Remove posts, chats and media from Meta AI and vibes, Meta: Change or delete AI chat info · Last read: 24 Oct 2026.
1. Training
Interactions with AI features, including chats with Meta AI, may be used to improve models.
Private messages with friends and family are not used for training, unless someone in the chat shares them with an AI.
No chat training opt-out setting is stated on the pages we read. Information you delete is not used for future training.
2. Retention and deletion
No fixed AI-chat retention period is stated. Training data is kept as long as needed, case by case.
Deleting a message, a conversation or your account does not necessarily delete Meta’s copy of your personal data; the Privacy Center describes how to delete it.
In Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp, /reset-ai and /reset-all-ais delete the AI’s copy of messages and saved details.
Voice conversations: the voice recording is initially available in your history temporarily; no period is stated. The text transcript remains available in your history. If you post a prompt with your voice, the recording is available until you delete the post. These lines describe what you can see in your history. They do not state how long Meta keeps its own copy.
3. Human review
In some cases Meta reviews interactions with its AIs. Review may be automated or human. The pages we read do not state the triggering conditions.
Chats that use Private Processing technology are excluded: Meta cannot read or access those messages.
What still applies with training off
- Deleted data may still exist in Meta’s copies.
- Training data is kept as long as needed, case by case.
Worth knowing, in plain words
Terms in a privacy policy can be hard to read. These are the points that matter most for Meta AI, with a generic example of each. The examples are illustrations, not real cases.
No switch to flip
Where a policy describes no opt-out, there is no setting that stops your chats being used for the stated purposes. Your choices are whether to use the service and what to type into it.
Example, illustrative onlyYou look for a training switch in settings and find only a delete-history option. Deleting history is not the same as opting out of training.
What this page says: No chat training opt-out setting is stated on the pages we read.
Delete may not mean gone
Deleting a chat, a thread or even your account does not necessarily delete the company’s copy. The company’s own pages describe the correct way to delete.
Example, illustrative onlyYou delete a whole thread and assume it is gone. The company may still hold a copy, and its pages say how to remove that copy.
What this page says: Deleting a message, a conversation or your account does not necessarily delete Meta’s copy.
A person may read a sample
Some products let trained staff or contractors read a sample of conversations for safety or quality. Whether you can opt out depends on the product.
Example, illustrative onlyA chat you thought only software saw is selected for review. A reviewer reads it to check how the system responded.
What this page says: In some cases interactions with AIs are reviewed, automated or human; Private Processing chats are excluded.
“Not stated” is not “No”
When the pages we read are silent on a point, we say “Not stated”. That means we found no statement, not that the practice does not exist.
Example, illustrative onlyA page says nothing about human review. You cannot conclude that nobody reads chats; you can only conclude the page does not say.
What this page says: The triggering conditions for review are not stated on the pages we read.
Sources
- Meta: How Meta uses information for generative AI models and features
- Meta AIs Terms of Service · Effective 13 May 2026
- Meta Privacy Policy · Effective 23 Jul 2026
- Meta: Remove posts, chats and media from Meta AI and vibes · Read 25 Oct 2026
- Meta: Change or delete AI chat info
“Not stated” means the pages we read are silent on the point. It is not a statement that the practice does not exist. Wording is checked against the page on the date above and may have changed since.
Spot an error? Email [email protected] with a link to the source.