Overview
- OpenAI confirmed ChatGPT is available again on WhatsApp in the European Economic Area and users can start a chat by messaging the verified 1-800-CHATGPT contact.
- The WhatsApp integration supports questions, image uploads, voice notes, image creation and multiple languages, restoring functionality many users lost after January.
- OpenAI has also rolled ChatGPT into KakaoTalk in South Korea with GPT-5 features and into Viber in select markets with an initial focus on the Philippines.
- Meta removed ChatGPT from the WhatsApp Business API on January 15, 2026 by changing terms to block general-purpose AI chatbots, a move regulators challenged and that drove OpenAI to diversify platforms.
- The shift matters for users and markets because KakaoTalk reaches the vast majority of South Koreans, India has reported partial access, and adding AI inside messaging apps raises new business and commerce opportunities for super-app platforms.