How to use ChatGPT on WhatsApp in 2026

OpenAI launched 1-800-ChatGPT on WhatsApp in December 2024. In October 2025, WhatsApp changed its Business Solution terms to bar general-purpose AI assistants, and OpenAI said ChatGPT would leave WhatsApp after January 15, 2026. Before the cutoff, people could link their ChatGPT account from the contact's profile so their past chats showed up in ChatGPT. Italy's competition authority and then the European Commission stepped in, and in June 2026 the Commission ordered Meta to restore free access for rival AI assistants across the EEA while its investigation runs. OpenAI switched ChatGPT on WhatsApp back on there on July 13, 2026.

1. 1

   Save the official number

   Add +1 800 242 8478 to your contacts, or open wa.me/18002428478. In WhatsApp it should show as the verified 1-800-ChatGPT business account.

2. 2

   Send a message

   Text, photos and voice notes work, and it can create images. You don't need a ChatGPT account.

3. 3

   Link your account (optional)

   Linking your ChatGPT account from the contact's profile gives you higher usage limits. Availability follows your WhatsApp number's country code and may roll out gradually.

1. 1

   The ChatGPT app or website

   OpenAI's own answer: chatgpt.com and the iOS and Android apps. Your old WhatsApp conversations appear there only if you linked your account before January 15, 2026.

2. 2

   Meta AI inside WhatsApp

   Meta AI is built into WhatsApp in a limited set of countries. Where you have it, it sits in the Chats tab and you can mention @Meta AI in a chat.

3. 3

   1-800-ChatGPT by phone (US and Canada)

   OpenAI's help center still describes the voice line for calls from US and Canadian numbers, with a monthly allowance of free minutes.

1. 1

   Create a ConnectChats account

   Open https://connectchats.com/app and sign in with a passkey. There is no email or password to remember.

2. 2

   Link WhatsApp

   Choose Link a chat app, then WhatsApp. Scan the QR code from WhatsApp on your phone (Linked devices, then Link a device), or switch to Use a pairing code.

3. 3

   Choose the chats your AI can read

   Chats appear on the Chats page as they import. Turn on only the ones you want your AI app to see.

4. 4

   Add ConnectChats to ChatGPT

   Add https://api.connectchats.com/mcp as a custom MCP server from ChatGPT's Plugins page. Our guide to adding an MCP server to ChatGPT covers the screens and plans.

5. 5

   Ask

   • "@ConnectChats Summarize the school parents group since Monday."
   • "@ConnectChats Draft a reply to Mum about Sunday lunch."

• Only trust +1 800 242 8478 shown as a verified business account. Other numbers that claim to be ChatGPT are not from OpenAI.
• Don't send passwords, ID documents or bank details to any chatbot on WhatsApp.
• If 1-800-ChatGPT does not answer in the EEA, your number's country may not have it yet. OpenAI rolls it out gradually.