ChatGPT on WhatsApp: official number, countries, limits
ChatGPT left WhatsApp in January 2026 and is back in the European Economic Area. The official number, what it can do, and the options for US numbers.
Nicolas ProvostOct 7, 2026 · 7 min read
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Key takeaways
- ChatGPT left WhatsApp after January 15, 2026 and is available again only in the European Economic Area, based on your number's country code.
- The only number OpenAI gives is +1-800-242-8478, its verified contact, and you can message it without a ChatGPT account.
- With a US or Canadian number, OpenAI documents calls to 1-800-CHATGPT, limited to 30 minutes per month, plus the app and chatgpt.com.
ChatGPT stopped being available on WhatsApp after January 15, 2026, and OpenAI's pages, read on October 7, 2026, say it is available again in the European Economic Area (EEA), through the verified 1-800-CHATGPT contact at +1-800-242-8478. They name no other region: for a WhatsApp number with a US country code, OpenAI points to the ChatGPT app, to chatgpt.com, or to a phone call to the same number from the US or Canada.
This guide relies on OpenAI's own pages, each linked below and read on October 7, 2026: the official number, the countries covered, what ChatGPT can do on WhatsApp, the limits, and what to do if your number is not covered.
Is ChatGPT still on WhatsApp?
Yes in the EEA, according to OpenAI. The service went through three stages:
| Date | What OpenAI published |
|---|---|
| October 21, 2025 | A post announcing that ChatGPT would no longer be available on WhatsApp after January 15, 2026, because of "a policy and terms change from WhatsApp". OpenAI wrote that more than 50 million people had used ChatGPT on WhatsApp. |
| January 15, 2026 | The last day of the service announced in that post. |
| July 13, 2026 | A release note announcing that ChatGPT is available again on WhatsApp in the EEA. |
On October 7, 2026, OpenAI's help page about 1-800-ChatGPT carried the same notice at the top: available again on WhatsApp in the EEA.
What is the ChatGPT number on WhatsApp?
The number is +1-800-242-8478, which OpenAI also writes 1-800-CHATGPT. It appears on three OpenAI pages read on October 7, 2026: the help page, the release notes and the page on verifying communications from OpenAI, which lists it among OpenAI's authentic numbers.
OpenAI describes this contact as verified. Those pages give no second number for WhatsApp, so if a different number claims to be ChatGPT, compare it with OpenAI's help page before you write to it. OpenAI's page on verifying its communications also reminds users never to share their account login details over social media.
In which countries does ChatGPT work on WhatsApp?
OpenAI's pages announce the European Economic Area, which is made up of the member states of the European Union plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Two conditions come with it, according to the help page, as of October 7, 2026:
- Your country code decides. Availability is based on the country code associated with your WhatsApp number.
- The rollout may be gradual. Some eligible numbers may get access later than others.
A number with the +1 country code, used in the United States and Canada, is not an EEA number, and OpenAI's pages announce nothing for it on WhatsApp.
For other messaging apps, the same release note adds that ChatGPT is also available on Kakao in South Korea and on Viber in supported markets.
How do you start chatting with ChatGPT on WhatsApp?
If your WhatsApp number has an EEA country code, OpenAI's instruction is simple: message the verified 1-800-CHATGPT contact. In practice:
- Save +1-800-242-8478 in your contacts, or open a chat with that number. Our guide on checking whether a number is on WhatsApp shows how to open a chat without saving the contact.
- Check the number against OpenAI's help page, digit by digit.
- Send your message. You do not need a ChatGPT account.
- If you want higher usage limits, link your ChatGPT account. This step is optional.
OpenAI's 2025 post described the link as a URL to click on the contact's profile in WhatsApp. The 2026 release note does not repeat those steps.
What can ChatGPT do on WhatsApp?
OpenAI's release note of July 13, 2026 lists what you can do there:
- Message ChatGPT.
- Upload images.
- Send voice notes.
- Create images.
- Use ChatGPT in many languages.
The ChatGPT apps go further. In its 2025 post, OpenAI cited voice conversations, deep research and file uploads as features found in the ChatGPT apps on iOS, Android and the web.
What are the limits of ChatGPT on WhatsApp?
Here is what OpenAI's pages state, as of October 7, 2026:
| Topic | What OpenAI says |
|---|---|
| Usage limits | Limits apply. The pages we read give no figure. Linking a ChatGPT account provides higher limits. |
| Age | The service is for people aged 13 and over. |
| Accuracy | ChatGPT can make mistakes, so check important information. |
| Terms | By communicating with 1-800-ChatGPT, you agree to OpenAI's Terms of Use and confirm you have read its Privacy Policy. |
| Phone number | OpenAI does not currently allow users to unlink a phone number from an OpenAI account. |
Sources: OpenAI help page about 1-800-ChatGPT and ChatGPT release notes, read on October 7, 2026.
What happened to chats from before January 2026?
OpenAI's 2025 post asked users to link their ChatGPT account before the cutoff: once linked, the phone number was associated with the account and past WhatsApp conversations appeared in the ChatGPT history. The post warned that conversations would not transfer automatically after January 15, 2026, and that WhatsApp does not support chat exports.
OpenAI's pages do not say whether chats from before that date can still be recovered today.
What can you do with a US or Canadian number?
Two routes are documented by OpenAI:
- Call ChatGPT. You can call 1-800-CHATGPT (1-800-242-8478) from a US or Canadian number. According to the help page, read on October 7, 2026, you can talk for 30 minutes per month at no charge from OpenAI (US and Canada), and standard carrier fees may apply. OpenAI calls the feature experimental and says it stores calls and transcripts for a limited period for safety and abuse prevention.
- Use the app or the website. OpenAI points to the ChatGPT app and to chatgpt.com.
Why did ChatGPT leave WhatsApp?
OpenAI's explanation fits in one line: a change in WhatsApp's policy and terms.
Meta's own documents describe that rule. The Meta terms for the WhatsApp Business Platform, last modified on September 23, 2026, contain a section on AI providers (4.7): companies that provide general-purpose AI assistants may not use the platform to offer them when the AI is the main service provided, except in certain countries. Meta's developer documentation, read on October 7, 2026, puts it this way: since January 15, 2026, these providers may offer general-purpose AI assistants on the platform in the places where Meta is legally required to permit it, and nowhere else.
OpenAI's pages do not say why the return covers the EEA. For context on the WhatsApp Business Platform, the channel that companies use to reach people on WhatsApp, see our guide on how WhatsApp makes money.
Is there an AI assistant built into WhatsApp?
Yes: Meta AI, the assistant made by WhatsApp's parent company. It follows different rules, and many people look for a way to switch it off. Our guide to Meta AI on WhatsApp covers where it appears and what you can control. And if you want to keep any chat away from prying eyes, chat lock hides it behind your fingerprint or a secret code.
If you run a store
If you run a business, the assistant that answers your customers on WhatsApp is a different thing from ChatGPT: it is a chatbot the business runs on its own number, through the WhatsApp Business API. Our guides explain what the WhatsApp Business API is and how WhatsApp chatbot platforms compare.
Kanal is a WhatsApp marketing and sales app for Shopify stores. It includes an AI agent that answers a store's customers on WhatsApp.
Nicolas helps e-commerce brands grow revenue with WhatsApp marketing. With deep expertise in Shopify ecosystems and conversational commerce, he shares proven strategies for abandoned cart recovery, broadcast campaigns, and AI-powered customer engagement.
