- ChatGPT and Copilot have announced that they will exit WhatsApp in 2026
- The move is prompted by a change in WhatsApp’s terms of service
- This means you will be forced to use Meta AI if you want a WhatsApp chatbot
ChatGPT still leads the pack of the best AI tools, with rivals like Copilot not too far behind – and WhatsApp users have long been able to leverage these chatbots in their messaging app. Unfortunately, Microsoft has now revealed that Copilot will be leaving WhatsApp due to a new policy from Meta, following a similar announcement from ChatGPT last month.
That conveniently leaves you with a single choice of AI bot in WhatsApp: Meta’s own Meta AI. And it will probably come as a big disappointment considering how unpopular this chatbot has proven to be since you can’t remove it.
Why are ChatGPT and Copilot leaving WhatsApp? It all comes down to a change in the terms of service for WhatsApp Business Solution, which will start taking effect on January 15, 2026.
When that happens, AI companies will be banned from using WhatsApp’s API for their own chatbots, meaning ChatGPT, Copilot and others will have to pull their products from the app (although both chatbots will remain in WhatsApp until that date).
Interestingly, the terms don’t ban chatbots used for customer service or support, only those where the chatbot itself is the product – which is exactly what you get with ChatGPT and others.
A step backwards?
When the changes were first announced in October, a Meta spokesperson told TechCrunch that “The purpose of the WhatsApp Business API is to help businesses provide customer support and send relevant updates.”
However, one result of this is that you will soon be forced to use Meta AI if you want to talk to an AI chatbot in WhatsApp. And it might not turn out to be a popular option given how poorly received Meta AI has been since it was first added to WhatsApp.
All it takes is a quick skim of Reddit to find countless threads condemning Meta AI, declaring it “the most useless and dumbest thing I’ve ever used.” When it becomes the only AI chatbot you can use in WhatsApp, those complaints will only get louder.
While both 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 barring Meta changing its mind, they’ll also have to remove their own services in 2026. And with so much to gain from banning the competition, we can’t see Meta deviating from this trajectory right now – unless forced to.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews and opinions in your feeds. Be sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can too follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, video unboxings, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp also.
