ChatGPT on WhatsApp is coming to an end: Here’s what you need to know

Millions of WhatsApp users will lose access to ChatGPT after Meta updates its Business API rules. (Photo: Meta)

By Margaret Wanjiru
Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Sources close to Meta say the company wants to prioritise its own assistant, Meta AI, and prevent external bots from clogging its servers or competing for user attention within its app ecosystem

For millions of WhatsApp users who have grown used to messaging a number and getting answers from ChatGPT in seconds, that era is coming to an abrupt end.

In a move quietly shaking the global AI and messaging landscape, Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, has effectively banned general-purpose AI chatbots like ChatGPT from its messaging platform.

More To Read

The decision, tucked into a recent update to WhatsApp’s Business API policy, takes full effect on 15 January 2026.

But for developers and users alike, the impact is already rippling outward. What was once a futuristic convenience—using ChatGPT as if it were just another WhatsApp contact—is now facing its final days.

It started innocently enough. Around late 2023, developers, including OpenAI, found a clever workaround: integrating ChatGPT into WhatsApp using the Business API. This allowed users to message a number—like the widely popular “1-800-CHATGPT”—ask anything from relationship advice to coding help, and receive intelligent, natural responses, all within the WhatsApp interface they already knew and loved.

In regions such as Kenya, Nigeria, India, and Brazil, where WhatsApp is deeply embedded in daily life, the feature took off. For many, it was the easiest and cheapest way to access advanced AI tools without downloading new apps or signing into complicated platforms.

Meta changes the rules silently

Earlier this week, Meta updated its WhatsApp Business terms to explicitly restrict third-party AI assistants.

In their words, companies offering services “whose primary function is AI-generated content or general-purpose AI conversations” will be prohibited from using the platform’s Business API.

There was no official announcement, no press conference—just a change. Suddenly, OpenAI and others found themselves locked out.

Sources close to Meta say the company wants to prioritise its own assistant, Meta AI, and prevent external bots from clogging its servers or competing for user attention within its app ecosystem. It is a business decision, but one with wide-reaching consequences.

OpenAI confirmed the news in a short message to users on X: WhatsApp will no longer support ChatGPT from 15 January 2026.

The company noted that over 50 million users worldwide have accessed ChatGPT via WhatsApp. That number includes students doing research, parents helping kids with homework, small businesses generating marketing copy, and countless others simply curious about what AI can do.

In a subtle but telling remark, OpenAI said, “While we would have loved to continue offering ChatGPT via WhatsApp, we understand Meta’s decision. Thankfully, we’ve built our own apps, website, and phone tools to stay connected with our users.”

That includes the ChatGPT mobile app, a desktop experience for Mac and Windows, and even phone access for regions with low internet penetration. But the tone was unmistakably one of disappointment.