Meta releases new Meta AI features country by country, so what you see in Australia may differ from this guide. We checked every detail on 31 October 2026, and the tools change week to week. Check this article's published date, and contact Softwired for up-to-date training and materials.
The short answer
Meta AI is Meta's AI assistant. You'll find it in the Meta AI app, at meta.ai, inside WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and Messenger, and on its AI glasses. It answers questions, writes, creates images and holds voice conversations.
In July 2026 Meta moved Meta AI to a new model, Muse Spark 1.1, and added features that do work for you. Meta AI can now build plans, connect to your email and calendar, create slides, run recurring tasks, send a daily briefing and research a topic. Meta is releasing these features in select markets first.
Meta AI's features at a glance
| Feature | What it does (checked 31 October 2026) | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Chat | Answers questions, writes and suggests ideas, with web search | Available in Australia since April 2024 |
| Images | Creates images with Muse Image | Not confirmed for Australia |
| Voice | Holds spoken conversations | Not confirmed for Australia |
| Incognito chat | Runs one-off private chats that aren't saved to your history | Meta AI app |
| Memory | Remembers details about you. Ask "What do you remember about me?" to review them | Not confirmed for Australia |
| Plans and follow-through | Builds plans, follows up on next steps and keeps you on track | Select markets, rolling out |
| Email and calendar connections | Reads your email and calendar apps, for example to find a free night | Select markets, rolling out |
| Daily briefing and recurring tasks | Sends a summary at a time you choose, and repeats tasks you set up once | Select markets, rolling out |
| Research and slides | Researches a topic in minutes and turns the findings into slides | Select markets, rolling out |
Meta names "select markets" for the newer features without listing them, and we could not confirm Australian availability on 31 October 2026. Meta says the features will reach more countries and more of its apps, including WhatsApp.
Where Meta AI lives
- The Meta AI app and meta.ai carry the fullest set of features.
- WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Messenger and Meta's AI glasses carry Meta AI too.
Features differ between these places, so a feature in the Meta AI app may not have reached another Meta app yet.
Incognito chats
Open the Meta AI app, tap Menu, then tap Incognito chat. Meta says only you can see the chat, and Meta AI doesn't save it after you exit. Nobody can share it. Incognito chats run on Private Processing, which Meta describes as a way to handle your request without Meta being able to read it. Web search is on by default, and you can switch it off.
Getting things done
Meta gives three examples of the newer features at work. Meta AI can plan a renovation and build a mood board. It can write a week-by-week training plan and send it to you each Monday. It can also find a restaurant and check your calendar for a night that works. You can steer each job while it runs, and Meta AI keeps everything it creates in one place so you can revisit and share it.
How you'd actually use it
Personal planning. "Build me a four-week plan to get ready for a 10 km fun run, three sessions a week, and send me the week's plan every Monday." The Monday reminder needs the newer recurring-task feature, which may not have reached Australia yet.
Quick research. "Compare the main options for adding a home solar battery in Queensland. Keep it short and include links." Standard chat with web search can answer this today.
Private questions. Use an incognito chat for a question you'd rather keep out of your history.
Using Meta AI for work
Meta designs Meta AI mainly for personal use. Before you put business data into it, check your organisation's policy. Your workplace's approved tools give your IT team control over who sees the data and how long it's kept.
Plans in brief
Meta One Core and Premium subscriptions include more Meta AI usage. We don't list prices, so check Meta's official pages for current costs.
Watch-outs
- Meta warns that AI responses may be inaccurate. Check an answer before you use it for an important decision.
- Connecting email and calendar lets Meta AI read your messages and appointments. Decide whether that trade is worth it before you switch it on.
- Anything you create and share on Meta's platforms must follow Meta's community standards.
Frequently asked questions
Is Meta AI free?
You can use Meta AI without a subscription. Meta One subscriptions add more AI usage.
Is Meta AI private?
Incognito chats aren't saved after you exit, and they run on Private Processing. Meta's Privacy Policy covers normal chats, so review your Meta AI settings, including memory, to control what it keeps.
Can Meta AI do tasks for me in Australia?
Meta is releasing its task features in select markets first and hasn't named them. We could not confirm Australian availability on 31 October 2026. Standard chat with web search has been available in Australia since April 2024, including in WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and Messenger.
Related guides
- AI tool features explained: a plain-English guide for 2026
- AI memory and custom instructions explained
- Why AI gets things wrong and how to check its work
Put it to work with AI On Ramp
Your team may meet AI first inside Meta's apps. The same habits apply there as anywhere: give clear context, keep private data out of personal tools, and check the answer.
AI On Ramp gets your team using AI with confidence, on their own work and across teams, while you keep its cost and risk under control. We set up the tools, then our consultants sit beside your most advanced AI users and build real in-house workflows with them. Your nominated AI Lead gets the governance tools and our ongoing support to keep the business current as the tools change. We bring deep technical expertise and decades of business change management, and we work face to face from Brisbane and along Australia's east coast. See how AI On Ramp works.
Want to talk through how this applies to your team? Book a call with Softwired.
