Meta will ban rival AI chatbots from WhatsApp

9 hours ago 12

WhatsApp AI Assistant making recommendations

(Image credit: Future)

Meta will ban all third-party general-purpose AI chatbots, such as ChatGPT and Perplexity, from WhatsApp in January
Users will be forced to migrate to other platforms unless they switch to Meta AI
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.

Meta changed its policies so 1-800-ChatGPT won't work on WhatsApp after Jan 15, 2026.Luckily we have an app, website, and browser you can use instead to access ChatGPT.October 22, 2025

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.

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Eric Hal Schwartz is a freelance writer for TechRadar with more than 15 years of experience covering the intersection of the world and technology. For the last five years, he served as head writer for Voicebot.ai and was on the leading edge of reporting on generative AI and large language models. He's since become an expert on the products of generative AI models, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude, Google Gemini, and every other synthetic media tool. His experience runs the gamut of media, including print, digital, broadcast, and live events. Now, he's continuing to tell the stories people want and need to hear about the rapidly evolving AI space and its impact on their lives. Eric is based in New York City.

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