Meta Bans Third-Party AI Chatbots from WhatsApp, Solidifying Its AI Strategy

WhatssApp changes its terms to bar general purpose chatbots from its platform | TechCrunch

Meta-owned chat app WhatsApp changed its business API policy this week to ban general-purpose chatbots from its platform. The move will likely affect WhatsApp-based assistants of companies like OpenAI, Perplexity, Khosla Ventures-backed Luzia, and General Catalyst-backed Poke. The company has added a new section to address "AI providers" in its business API terms, focusing on general-purpose chatbots. The terms, which will go into effect on January 15, 2026, say that Meta won't allow AI model providers to distribute their AI assistants on WhatsApp. Providers and developers of artificial intelligence or machine learning technologies, including but not limited to large language models, generative artificial intelligence platforms, general-purpose artificial intelligence assistants, or similar technologies as determined by Meta in its sole discretion ("AI Providers"), are strictly prohibited from accessing or using the WhatsApp Business Solution, whether directly or indirectly, for the purposes of providing, delivering, offering, selling, or otherwise making available such technologies when such technologies are the primary (rather than incidental or ancillary) functionality being made available for use, as determined by Meta in its sole discretion. Meta confrimed this move to TechCrunch and specified that this move doesn't affect businesses that are using AI to serve customers on WhatsApp. For instance, a travel company running a bot for customer service won't be barred from the service. The company's rationale behind this move is that WhatsApp Business API is designed for businesses serving customers rather than acting as a platform for chatbot distribution. The company said that while it built the API for these use cases, in recent months, it saw an unanticipated use case of serving general-purpose chatbots. "The purpose of the WhatsApp Business API is to help businesses provide customer support and send relevant updates. Our focus is on supporting the tens of thousands of businesses who are building these experiences on WhatsApp," a Meta spokesperson said in a comment to TechCrunch. Meta said that the new chatbot use cases put a lot of burden on its system with increased message volume and required a different kind of support, which the company wasn't ready for. The company is banning use cases that falls outside "the intended design and strategic focus" of the API. The move will effectively make WhatsApp moot as a platform to distribute AI solutions like assistants or agents. It also means Meta AI is the only assistant available on the chat app. Last year, OpenAI launched ChatGPT on WhatsApp, and earlier this year, Perplexity launched its own bot on the chat app to tap into the user base of more than 3 billion people. Both of the bots could answer queries, understand media files, answer questions about them, reply to voice notes, and generate images. This likely generated a lot of message volume. However, there was a bigger issue for Meta. WhatsApp's Business API is one of the primary ways the chat app makes money. It charges businesses based on different message templates like marketing, utility, authentication, and support. As there wasn't any provision for chatbots in this API design, WhatsApp wasn't able to charge them. During Meta's Q1 2025 earnings calls, Mark Zuckerberg pointed out that business messaging is a big opportunity for the company the bring in revenue. "Right now, the vast majority of our business is advertising in feeds on Facebook and Instagram," he said. "But WhatsApp now has more than 3 billion monthly [active users], with more than 100 million people in the US and growing quickly there. Messenger is also used by more than a billion people each month, and there are now as many messages sent each day on Instagram as there are on Messenger. Business messaging should be the next pillar of our business."

Meta Says No More General Purpose Chatbots on WhatsApp (Except Its Own)

(Credit: Algi Febri Sugita/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) If you're one of the millions of people using the WhatsApp versions of tools like OpenAI's ChatGPT, bad news -- you'll only have a few more months to enjoy the service. Meta has banned general purpose chatbots from the platform, following a recent change to the terms and conditions of the WhatsApp Business API, first spotted by TechCrunch. The move could impact the WhatsApp clients of tools like ChatGPT, which launched in December 2024, along with numerous other WhatsApp chatbots that have appeared over the past year. These include AI search engine Perplexity's WhatsApp chatbot, which launched in April of this year, as well as lesser-known products like Latin America focused chatbot Luzia. The good news is that the new ban won't come into effect until Jan. 15, 2026, giving users months to find replacement solutions. Following the change, "large language models, generative artificial intelligence platforms, general-purpose artificial intelligence assistants, or similar technologies" are now strictly prohibited from accessing or using the WhatsApp Business Solution "when such technologies are the primary (rather than incidental or ancillary) functionality being made available for use." While general purpose chatbots like ChatGPT will be banned going forward, businesses will be allowed to maintain their own consumer-facing chatbots for interacting with customers. For example, a local takeaway firm managing its orders. And while users won't be able to chat directly with general purpose chatbots via WhatsApp Business, companies will still be able to use data gathered via the messaging app for AI training. This means Meta AI, launched in August 2024, will now be the sole chatbot general purpose chatbot available on the platform. Justifying the move, Meta told TechCrunch that it banned business API use cases falling outside "the intended design and strategic focus" of the API, adding that third-party chatbots were placing a burden on its systems and support teams. Meta.ai, though launching years after competitors like Google Gemini, may be catching up to its long-established rivals. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg claimed in May that his company had hit one billion monthly users across its AI tools -- though it was unclear exactly how many of those monthly users were interacting with the tool directly.

ChatGPT in WhatsApp will stop working in January

If you use ChatGPT in WhatsApp, it's about time to make other plans. OpenAI said its ubiquitous chatbot will stop working in Meta's ubiquitous chat app on January 15, 2026. According to OpenAI, the change is due to a policy and terms change from WhatsApp. OpenAI announced the change in a blog post. "While we would have much preferred to continue serving you on WhatsApp, we are focused on making the transition as easy for all of our users as possible," the company wrote. WhatsApp doesn't support chat exports, and there won't be an automatic way to transfer your chats after the cutoff date. Fortunately, there's a simple workaround to migrate your chat history right now. Under the 1-800-ChatGPT contact profile in WhatsApp, you'll see an option to link your ChatGPT account. Select that, and all your queries on WhatsApp will merge with your ChatGPT history. As for why this is happening, well, we can only speculate. But the term "turf war" comes to mind. After all, Meta is now an AI company, too. And 50 million people using another company's chatbot inside WhatsApp must not be good for business. Fortunately, ChatGPT is available on the same platforms as WhatsApp: Android, iOS, Windows, macOS and the web.

WhatsApp bans AI chatbots from using its business API - 9to5Mac

Starting next year, AI companies won't be allowed to use WhatsApp as a chat interface. Here are the details. For the past few months, companies such as OpenAI and Perplexity have launched phone numbers that users can add as WhatsApp contacts and chat with their models directly. Although the experience is far more limited than on the full ChatGPT or Perplexity platforms, this approach is particularly appealing to users on constrained data plans in countries where WhatsApp traffic is exempt from data charges. Add to that the fact that WhatsApp has 3 billion active users, and it's easy to see why AI companies have been eager to tap into that audience. The problem is that Meta, which has a chatbot of its own, has caught on to this and updating its business API rules to stop others from using the platform as an interface. As spotted by TechCrunch, starting January 15, 2026, LLM providers will be banned from using WhatsApp's business API "when such technologies are the primary (...) functionality being made available for use". It is worth noting that the change doesn't affect companies and services that use AI as part of their WhatsApp-based customer support workflow, but rather those that use the app itself as a front-end for direct, general-purpose chatbot interactions. Here's the relevant section from the new terms: Providers and developers of artificial intelligence or machine learning technologies, including but not limited to large language models, generative artificial intelligence platforms, general-purpose artificial intelligence assistants, or similar technologies as determined by Meta in its sole discretion ("AI Providers"), are strictly prohibited from accessing or using the WhatsApp Business Solution, whether directly or indirectly, for the purposes of providing, delivering, offering, selling, or otherwise making available such technologies when such technologies are the primary (rather than incidental or ancillary) functionality being made available for use, as determined by Meta in its sole discretion. In reaction to the change, OpenAI has already confirmed that its WhatsApp contact will no longer work after January 15, 2026. Perplexity which is also currently accessible on Telegram and on X, is yet to confirm the end of support.

Meta will ban rival AI chatbots from WhatsApp

The move is to reduce infrastructure strain, but it also gives more power to Meta's AI assistant and more data to the company Meta is closing the door on third-party AI assistants inside WhatsApp. Starting January 15, 2026, no general-purpose AI chatbot, including ChatGPT, Perplexity, and others, will be allowed to operate on the platform. The change is part of an update to WhatsApp's Business API policy that bans developers of "large language models, generative AI platforms, or general-purpose AI assistants" from accessing the system. In plain terms, Meta is locking down the world's largest messaging app to ensure that the only chatbot you'll find inside it is Meta AI. For a company that's spent the past year weaving its Meta AI into every corner of its products, this isn't too surprising. WhatsApp is a huge platform for Meta to test AI ideas, and hosting an array of third-party chatbots means not everyone there is turning to Meta AI for help. But all of those other bots will now have to pack up and leave. WhatsApp has more than three billion users, making it one of the most valuable front doors to consumer AI imaginable. Allowing third-party assistants to thrive inside it essentially handed competitors like OpenAI access to Meta's user base, bypassing Meta's own monetization plans. Now, by shutting the door, the company ensures that Meta AI will be the only chatbot with native reach inside WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger. Meta claims this is about infrastructure, saying in a statement that these chatbots put a strain on the platform because of the sheer volume of messages and the support required to sustain them. Whether that's true, given that businesses using AI for customer service, such as banks, airlines, and digital stores, won't be affected, is unclear. The new WhatsApp policy effectively cements a strategy of one app, one assistant, which might cause issues for those who like using multiple apps on a single platform. For millions of users who discovered ChatGPT or Perplexity through WhatsApp, the ban means a significant shift in how they access those assistants. Starting next year, they'll need to use standalone apps or websites instead of chatting inside their daily messenger. OpenAI, at least, seems to be taking the news with a trace of humor. The data pipeline of Meta AI gives the company plenty of incentive to keep conversations in-house. Every chat that happens with Meta AI is yet another opportunity to refine recommendations and personalize ads. Conversations happening with external assistants, on the other hand, are interactions that Meta can't analyze or monetize. And Meta's framing isn't necessarily totally disingenuous. WhatsApp's Business API was built, as the name suggests, for transactions, not general chats. AI assistants blur the line between business and personal use. Still, the policy is written broadly enough that Meta retains full discretion to define what qualifies as "general-purpose AI." That means it could theoretically block future apps it deems competitive or outside its comfort zone, even if they serve a legitimate use case. Meta's taking control is also not unique. Google integrated Gemini into its search and productivity apps, Apple has been working with OpenAI to bring ChatGPT into Siri, and Amazon uses Alexa as a gateway into its shopping empire. What's different about Meta's approach is the sheer scale of WhatsApp and the absence of opting out of Meta AI. You can't even turn the chatbot off. There are fewer choices for users who prefer different assistants, and fewer opportunities for competitors to reach them. Imagine if every email app banned third-party filters except for the one made by the host company. That's roughly the model Meta is heading toward with WhatsApp. But if Meta can win out with a strategy of owning the chat, owning the assistant, owning the ecosystem, it will likely be worth it for its bottom line. WhatsApp will be Meta AI's personal playground, and any other AI there will only last as long as the company chooses.

Meta will ban all third-party AI chatbots from WhatsApp next year

The ban covers ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Luzia, leaving Meta AI as the platform's only allowed assistant. Meta is banning third-party general-purpose chatbots from WhatsApp through a policy change to its Business API. The new rule, effective January 15, 2026, will make the company's own Meta AI the sole general-purpose chatbot available on the platform. The policy update, first reported by TechCrunch, will impact several AI services that have integrated with WhatsApp. These include the WhatsApp client for ChatGPT, which launched in December 2024, and the AI search engine Perplexity, which introduced its chatbot in April 2025. Other products, such as the Latin America-focused chatbot Luzia, are also set to be affected by the prohibition, which gives users several months to find alternative services. According to the revised terms and conditions, access to the WhatsApp Business Solution will be prohibited for services where "large language models, generative artificial intelligence platforms, general-purpose artificial intelligence assistants, or similar technologies" constitute the primary functionality. The policy specifies that the ban does not apply if such technologies are used for incidental or ancillary purposes, targeting platforms whose main function is to provide general AI assistance. Despite the restriction on general-purpose assistants, businesses will be allowed to maintain their own consumer-facing chatbots for direct customer interactions, such as a local takeout restaurant managing its orders. The policy change also permits companies to continue using data collected through WhatsApp for AI training, even though direct user interaction with the third-party chatbots via the messaging app will be blocked. Meta informed TechCrunch that the ban addresses uses of the business API that are outside its "intended design and strategic focus," noting that third-party chatbots were placing a burden on its systems and support teams. This change solidifies the position of Meta AI, launched in August 2024, as the exclusive general-purpose chatbot on WhatsApp. The move follows a May announcement from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg that the company's AI tools had reached one billion monthly users.

WhatsApp Says AI Firms Can't Offer Chatbot Access via WhatsApp Business

The company said that the change will be implemented by early-2026 WhatsApp will soon block artificial intelligence (AI) firms from providing access to chatbots and other machine learning technologies via its business messaging plaform. However, companies using AI-powered tools to offer customer service will not be affected by this change to the WhatsApp Business Solution policy. AI companies will not be able to utilise WhatsApp's Business data to train, improve, and create their own chatbots on the instant messaging platform. Meta is reportedly bringing in the changes as the increased number of messages were putting its systems under pressure, but it could also be a way to promote its own AI assistant. WhatsApp's Updated Business Solution Policy on AI Chatbots The instant messaging service has updated its business API policy to restrict large language model AI bots and other "machine learning technologies" from accessing WhatsApp Business, and the new terms will go into effect on January 15, 2026. While this stands to impact AI assistants of other companies that are offered in the form of chats on WhatsApp, Meta confirmed to TechCrunch that the prohibition will not disrupt the services provided by other businesses on WhatsApp. The Meta-owned company said that AI "providers and developers" are "strictly prohibited" from using the WhatsApp Business Solution for "providing, delivering, offering, or selling" large language AI models and machine learning technologies. Meta has the "sole discretion" on allowing these functionalities to exist on its platform. AI firms like OpenAI and Perplexity offer access to their chatbots in the form of WhatsApp chats, but it seems like this access will soon be cut off by Meta. These firms will also be blocked from using WhatsApp's business solution to create, develop, train, or improve their AI models and related technologies. However, the same can be used to "fine-tune" models that are meant for their own use. WhatsApp said that if these terms are found to be violated, the company might terminate its business account and revoke its access, too. While the company has not categorically stated the reason behind this change, it is reportedly enforcing the same because the "WhatsApp Business API is designed for businesses serving customers rather than acting as a platform for chatbot distribution." The use of general-purpose AI chatbots on WhatsApp reportedly put Meta's systems under pressure as the number of messages increased, while requiring a "different kind of support, which the company wasn't ready for". Will Meta AI Be the Only Chatbot on WhatsApp? While the rise in the number of messages on third-party AI chatbots might be burdensome for Meta's systems to handle, this could also be a way for the company to promote its own AI assistant, dubbed Meta AI, on WhatsApp. According to a report, the WhatsApp Business API is one of the main sources of cash flow for the instant messaging service. Hence, as other players started providing their own AI chatbots on WhatsApp, the traffic got divided between Meta AI and its competitors. Moreover, while WhatsApp charges businesses for marketing, utility, authentication, and support, it did not have a way to charge AI companies for using WhatsApp to provide their services.

Meta Strikes Out: OpenAI's 1-800-ChatGPT Calls & Messages Facility On WhatsApp To Go Poof

It's one of the oldest tricks in the books. If your product is not doing nearly as well, seek to bring down your competitor's as well. And, this is exactly what Meta appears to be doing by disabling a WhatsApp feature used to access OpenAI's ChatGPT AI model. OpenAI: After January 15, 2026, 1-800-ChatGPT will no longer be available on WhatsApp In a newly published blog, OpenAI has noted that Meta has changed its policies, which will shutter some of its services available on WhatsApp, come January 15, 2026. Specifically, OpenAI says its 1-800-ChatGPT facility for WhatsApp is all set to expire on that date. This facility allowed users to access the ChatGPT LLM via a simple call or message, with 50 million people around the globe using this simple interface. Here is what OpenAI is now recommending: The startup goes on to note: "Once linked, your phone number will be associated with your ChatGPT account, and your past WhatsApp conversations will appear in your ChatGPT history." As for Meta's raison d'être behind this move, it might have been rankled by the facility's popularity, feeling that its own Llama LLMs deserved greater prominence on its platforms. After all, Meta has done quiet a lot in recent months to push its "Meta AI" on WhatsApp, going so far as to place it within the search bar in the app. This comes as OpenAI recently took on Google's Chrome and Perplexity's Comet by launching a dedicated AI browser, called ChatGPT Atlas. While the browser is only available on macOS for now, it is soon expected to debut on Windows, iOS, and Android. Follow Wccftech on Google or add us as a preferred source, to get our news coverage and reviews in your feeds.

ChatGPT to Stop on WhatsApp from Jan 15, 2026: What You Need to Know

OpenAI Confirms ChatGPT Will No Longer Work on WhatsApp from January 15, 2026 OpenAI revealed that its ChatGPT service will no longer support WhatsApp from January 15, 2026. The decision follows Meta's updated Business Application Programming Interface (API) policies. These protocols prohibit general-purpose AI chatbots from accessing its infrastructure. OpenAI acknowledged the shift in a post on X (previously Twitter), where it said, "1-800-ChatGPT won't work on WhatsApp after Jan 15, 2026." Meta's new policy specifically targets 'AI Providers,' which include developers of large language models and generative . According to OpenAI, this update prevents the company from continuing its WhatsApp-based service.

OpenAI confirms ChatGPT will stop working on WhatsApp from this date

OpenAI cites WhatsApp's new policy changes as the reason for the discontinuation. If you are somebody who uses ChatGPT on WhatsApp, there is bad news for you. OpenAI has officially announced that its popular AI chatbot will no longer be available on WhatsApp starting January 15, 2026 after a change in WhatsApp's policies and terms. In an official blog post, OpenAI stated that it was "thrilled to see more than 50 million people chat, create, and learn" via ChatGPT on WhatsApp, but confirmed that the service would be discontinued early next year. The company described WhatsApp as a natural home for everyday creativity and curiosity due to its simplicity and familiar interface, but said it had no choice but to comply with new policy restrictions. "While we would have much preferred to continue serving you on WhatsApp, we are focused on making the transition as easy for all of our users as possible," OpenAI said in the post. Also read: Realme GT 8 Pro India launch soon: Price, camera, display, and everything else we know so far The company recommends that users migrate their chats to the ChatGPT app, which is available on iOS, Android, and the web, as well as ChatGPT Atlas for macOS. These platforms also provide additional features such as voice conversations, deep research tools, and file uploads, which are not available on WhatsApp. To save chat history, users can link their contact number to their ChatGPT account by visiting 1-800-ChatGPT's contact profile on WhatsApp and clicking the link provided. When you link it, the existing conversations will be displayed in the ChatGPT history. However, OpenAI cautioned that WhatsApp chats will not be automatically transferred after the deadline because WhatsApp does not support chat exports. It should be noted that the OpenAI chatbot will remain available on WhatsApp until January 15, 2026, with OpenAI intending to send reminders to users before the transition takes place. "We recommend linking your account soon to maintain your history," the company advised, stating that users who fail to do so before the deadline will lose access to their prior WhatsApp chats.