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WhatsApp is losing support for AI bots like ChatGPT and Perplexity from January 2026 onwards and OpenAI is warning users about it.
WhatsApp will stop bots like ChatGPT for users from early next year
OpenAI is being forced to shut down ChatGPT bot on WhatsApp for billions of users and it has no say in this decision. Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp and Instagram, has decided to stop letting third-party apps offer AI assistants through bots. This is part of the company’s broader change in policies for use of bots which comes into effect from January 15, 2026.
Meta has noticed that most of the Businesses using its app API have devised ways to integrate their AI assistant that serves the general users. This is a big jolt for ChatGPT and Perplexity among others who have offered their WhatsApp bots to make the features widely available.
ChatGPT Bot To Go Away: What Now?
OpenAI is making people aware about this change coming in 2026 and has even realised that many will be wondering what to do when the ChatGPT bot goes offline from the messaging app.
To keep chatting with ChatGPT—1. Download the ChatGPT app on Android or iOS, web, or ChatGPT Atlas on macOS.
2. Save your chats by linking your account through 1-800-ChatGPT’s contact profile in WhatsApp.
— OpenAI (@OpenAI) October 22, 2025
Well, it is simple. OpenAI says, luckily they also have a website, a mobile app and even a browser now that lets you access ChatGPT and its features (most of them) for free. So, the best way to offset the use of ChatGPT bot is to use the AI chatbot in its original versions.
OpenAI is also aware that people might want to save their existing conversations through the WhatsApp bot. And for that, the company says you can save all the chats by linking the ChatGPT account through the ChatGPT contact profile in WhatsApp.
As we mentioned earlier, the WhatsApp changes will be coming to effect from January 15, 2026 that gives the businesses enough time to tweak their current API models and lock out the AI assistant pilfering through to the users. Meta has clearly stated in its new rules that any bot operating primarily as an AI assistant will not be allowed to run through the messaging app.
Meta in its defence suggests running full-fledged AI assistants as WhatsApp bot puts further pressure on the platform’s own data centre powering these features. Meta might be concerned about having these AI bots eating into its own user base and that sounds more believable.
S Aadeetya, Special Correspondent at News18 Tech, accidentally got into journalism 10 years ago, and since then, has been part of established media houses covering the latest trends in technology and helping fr…Read More
S Aadeetya, Special Correspondent at News18 Tech, accidentally got into journalism 10 years ago, and since then, has been part of established media houses covering the latest trends in technology and helping fr… Read More
Delhi, India, India
October 23, 2025, 13:14 IST
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