Meta AI steps out of the chat window, gets a standalone app

Meta has quietly unveiled a standalone app for its Meta AI assistant during its LlamaCon event. The app is now available on iOS and Android in select markets. The move underscores Meta’s intent to take a serious swing at the booming generative AI space that’s currently dominated by the likes of ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot.

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Until now, Meta AI has operated quietly in the background across its various platforms – showing up in Messenger threads, Facebook searches, or tucked near your Instagram and WhatsApp chats. But this new app gives the AI a dedicated space, allowing users to interact with it directly instead of waiting for it to show up mid-conversation.

Meta AI app: Familiar, but smarter

The app resembles a chat app, complete with a clean and intuitive layout. But instead of messaging a friend, you’re chatting with Meta AI. Whether it’s helping you solve a math problem, summarising a complex topic, or interpreting an image, you can do it with a single prompt. It’s designed to be fast, engaging, and powered by Meta’s latest Llama 3 model, which the company claims makes it more capable and responsive than ever before.

One of Meta’s biggest bets is on personalisation. Unlike its competitors, Meta is leaning into its deep well of user data to shape more tailored interactions. Thanks to the years of activity, you’ve logged across Facebook and Instagram, Meta’s AI already has a head start in understanding who you are and what you care about.

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According to Meta, the assistant can use information from your existing profile and activity across its platforms to generate responses that are more aligned with your preferences. For example, it might remember details you choose to share – like dietary restrictions or travel interests – to offer more thoughtful suggestions in future chats. These personalised features are currently rolling out in the US and Canada.

A social AI experience

Another unique addition is the “Discover” feed. A feature that lets users share their AI-generated interactions with friends. In a preview Meta showcased at LlamaCon, someone asks Meta AI to describe them in three emojis and then shares the response on their feed. These moments are only made public if users choose to share them.

This social layer could amplify AI-driven trends; think people turning themselves into anime characters or swapping faces with celebrities.

Can it stick the landing?

The timing of this app’s debut is anything but accidental. OpenAI recently introduced memory and image generation features for ChatGPT, while Google continues to integrate Gemini more tightly into Android.

Meta, by contrast, is pushing forward with a standalone solution that invites users to treat its AI like any other everyday app, not just a tool buried in a sidebar.