- ChatGPT and copilot have announced that they will exit WhatsApp in 2026
- The reason for this action is a change to WhatsApp’s terms of use.
- This means that if you want a WhatsApp chatbot, you have to use Meta AI
ChatGPT still tops the list of best AI tools, closely followed by competitors like Copilot, and WhatsApp users have been able to use these chatbots in their messaging app for a long time. Unfortunately, Microsoft revealed it. The co-pilot leaves WhatsApp due to a new meta-policy, according to a Similar ad from ChatGPT last month.
Ideally, you only have one AI bot option on WhatsApp: Meta AI. And this will probably be a big disappointment considering how unpopular this chatbot is, because you can’t delete it.
Why are chatgpt and Copilot leaving WhatsApp? All of this corresponds to a change to the WhatsApp Business Solutions Terms of Service, which will take effect on January 15, 2026.
If this happens, AI companies will not be able to use the WhatsApp API for their chatbots, meaning ChatGPT, Copilot and others will have to remove their products from the app (although both chatbots will remain on WhatsApp until then).
Interestingly, the terms do not prohibit chatbots used for customer service or support, but only chatbots where the chatbot itself is the product, which is exactly what you get on ChatGPT and others.
A step back?
When the changes were first announced in October, a Meta spokesperson said TechCrunch that “the purpose of the WhatsApp Business API is to help businesses provide customer support and generate relevant updates.”
However, this means that you will soon be forced to use Meta AI if you want to talk to an AI chatbot within WhatsApp. And this might not be a popular option given the poor reception of Meta AI on WhatsApp since its introduction.
All it takes is a quick look at Reddit to find tons of discussions. Decipher Meta-AI and explain it like this “Most useless, dumbest thing I’ve ever used.” If it becomes the only AI chatbot you can use on WhatsApp, those complaints will only increase.
While ChatGPT and Copilot have announced they will exit WhatsApp when the ban takes effect in January, other providers such as Perplexity have remained silent.
But unless Meta changes its mind, it will also have to stop its services from 2026. And since there is so much to be gained from banning competition, we can’t imagine that Meta will deviate from this path anytime soon unless forced to do so.