ChatGPT leaving WhatsApp after ban (openai.com)

OpenAI announced ChatGPT will stop running on WhatsApp after January 15, 2026, citing a policy and terms change from WhatsApp. The move affects more than 50 million users who have been using the bot inside familiar messaging flows; it highlights how platform policy shifts can quickly reshape distribution channels for conversational AI and raises practical concerns about data portability and third‑party integrations. Users are urged to migrate to native ChatGPT apps (iOS, Android, web, and ChatGPT Atlas on macOS) and link their phone number so past WhatsApp conversations appear in ChatGPT history. Migration steps: download the ChatGPT app, create/sign into a ChatGPT account, then link it via the 1-800-ChatGPT contact profile URL in WhatsApp. Important technical notes: linking before Jan 15, 2026 preserves history; conversations won’t transfer automatically after that date because WhatsApp does not support chat exports. The native apps also offer extended capabilities—voice conversations, richer research tools, and file uploads—while OpenAI will send reminders and provides Help Center instructions for users.