In October 2025, WhatsApp updated its business API policy to restrict AI chatbots.
Meta claimed that the third-party AI chatbots were putting pressure on its systems
OpenAI's ChatGPT service on WhatsApp came to an end on Thursday, January 15. The artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot will no longer work on the Meta-owned platform. The deadline was set in October 2025, when the instant messaging company announced in an updated policy that it would restrict all large language model (LLM)-based chatbots. While the company had cited increased stress on servers as the reason, many suspected that it had more to do with the reduced usage of the Menlo Park-based tech giant's in-house chatbot, Meta AI.
In a support page for the ChatGPT phone number, OpenAI said, “On Jan 15, 2026, ChatGPT will no longer be available on WhatsApp. ChatGPT remains available on iOS, Android, and the web.” The company also suggested that users link their accounts to keep their conversation history, as otherwise, the conversations will not transfer.
Gadgets 360 staff members also verified the termination of the service. Sending a text to ChatGPT on WhatsApp now shows a message that it is no longer available and that users should download the app to continue using this service. All other access points, such as the website and the desktop app for Mac, are also operating as usual. Apart from ChatGPT, Perplexity and Microsoft's Copilot are also available on WhatsApp and will face a similar fate.
The deactivation comes a few months after WhatsApp updated its business application programming interface (API) policy to restrict large language model AI bots and other “machine learning technologies” from accessing WhatsApp Business. The discretion of determining what is, and what is not an AI chatbot, also lies with Meta. “We may terminate your account and revoke your access if we reasonably determine that you have breached these restrictions,” the policy says.
Notably, OpenAI first started the WhatsApp service in December 2024, after releasing a dedicated ChatGPT phone number (1-800-CHATGPT or 1-800-242-8478). In the following months, the AI giant added new capabilities, such as support for voice and image input. Later, it also added AI-powered image generation to the WhatsApp service.
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