OpenAI has confirmed that its 1-800-ChatGPT service will no longer be available on WhatsApp after January 15, 2026. The service, which launched last year in December, allowed people to talk to ChatGPT through a simple call or message. It quickly became popular, with around 50 million users worldwide.
According to OpenAI’s latest blog post, this shutdown is happening because Meta has changed its policies. These new rules will affect some third-party services on WhatsApp, including OpenAI’s 1-800-ChatGPT feature.
OpenAI has shared a few steps for users who want to continue using ChatGPT:
- Download the ChatGPT app on Android, iOS, or desktop.
- Create an account and sign in.
- Link your ChatGPT account with WhatsApp by opening the 1-800-ChatGPT contact profile and clicking the link provided.
Once users link their accounts, their phone numbers will be connected to their ChatGPT profiles, and their old WhatsApp conversations will appear in their ChatGPT chat history.
While OpenAI did not go into detail about the exact reason behind Meta’s decision, it seems Meta wants to focus more on promoting its own AI system, Meta AI. In recent months, Meta has integrated its AI deeply into WhatsApp. It even placed it directly inside the app’s search bar. This move might be part of Meta’s larger plan to keep its AI tools at the center of the user experience.
At the same time, OpenAI has been expanding its reach in other areas. The company recently launched a new AI browser called ChatGPT Atlas, which is currently available on macOS and will soon come to Windows, iOS, and Android.
