OpenAI recently announced that its intelligent assistant, ChatGPT, will stop working through the WhatsApp app, following an update to WhatsApp’s Business API policies by Meta, the platform’s owner. The new rules explicitly prohibit the use of external AI platforms as a general chat service.

According to an OpenAI statement, ChatGPT will continue to operate on iOS, Android, and web platforms, but the service will no longer be available on WhatsApp after January 15, 2026. This announcement comes just four days after the official decision, making it a fresh development for platform users.

The main reason for the withdrawal is WhatsApp’s updated business policy, which prevents AI and machine learning technology providers from accessing or using the platform, either directly or indirectly. The move appears aimed at promoting Meta AI as the exclusive intelligent assistant.

OpenAI has advised current users to secure their chat histories by linking their WhatsApp accounts with ChatGPT before the deadline and switching to other available apps on different devices after the WhatsApp service ends.

Experts view ChatGPT’s withdrawal from WhatsApp as a significant shift in social media companies’ strategies toward external AI, sending a clear message to all AI providers about the need to comply with regulatory and commercial changes on these platforms.