Meta is shutting down third-party AI chatbots on WhatsApp

ChatGPT, Copilot, and other AI assistants will stop working January 15

Meta is kicking out ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity, and other outside AI chatbots from WhatsApp starting January 15, 2026. If you're using any of these tools through WhatsApp, they'll stop working.

Meta’s updated policy prohibits “general-purpose” conversational bots from external providers, shutting down any AI assistant not built using Meta’s own tools. Large language model (LLM) powered assistants operated through OpenAI, Microsoft Azure or other platforms will be restricted.

Developers using these integrations will lose access as the API will automatically block third-party AI traffic. According to reports, this policy does not affect rule-based bots (old-school chatbots that follow fixed scripts instead of using AI), custom business flows or non-LLM automations, as these remain fully supported under WhatsApp’s Business API, which continues to serve as a core tool for customer service and sales communication.

ChatGPT users will be allowed to migrate their WhatsApp chat history before the deadline. However, Copilot users will lose access to their chat history.

The decision is partly driven by regulatory risk and partly by Meta’s strategy to push its own Llama-based assistant across all Meta apps. By restricting external LLMs, Meta reduces data-flow risks associated with third-party AI providers, centralising AI control across its applications and reducing reliance on external models.