OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot are leaving WhatsApp due to changes to the messaging app’s terms of service that will prohibit the distribution of AI chatbots not made by Meta. Here are the details.
The era of non-Meta AI at WhatsApp is ending
OpenAI announced its separation plans a few weeks ago, and this week Microsoft announced that it is following suit. Both companies attributed the separation to Meta’s new terms of service for the WhatsApp Business Solution, which will take effect on January 15, 2026, and stated that the chatbots will continue to be available on WhatsApp until then.
ChatGPT users will be able to link their accounts to WhatsApp to have their chat histories migrated, but Copilot users will not have this option.
WhatsApp announced the update to its terms of service in October, prohibiting AI companies from using its commercial API as a distribution platform for chatbots. Other companies will still be allowed to use WhatsApp for customer service or support chatbots, but the terms prohibit situations where the AI itself is a product. This is simply Meta’s way of preventing AI competitors from reaching customers using its platform.
“The purpose of the WhatsApp Business API is to help businesses provide customer support and send relevant updates. Our focus is to support the tens of thousands of businesses building these experiences on WhatsApp,” a Meta spokesperson told TechCrunch at the time.
This change means that other third-party AI chatbots, including Perplexity, are likely to announce their departure from WhatsApp soon. This means that Meta AI will remain the only AI option available on WhatsApp starting next January.
