OpenAI has re-enabled ChatGPT on WhatsApp in the European Economic Area after the European Commission ordered Meta to stop blocking rival AI bots on its platform.

ChatGPT's Return to WhatsApp

OpenAI has re-enabled ChatGPT on WhatsApp in the European Economic Area, covering all 27 EU member states plus Liechtenstein, Iceland, and Norway. This follows the European Commission ordering Meta to restore access for rival AI bots on its platform.

How It Works

Users can reach ChatGPT via the verified contact 1-800-CHATGPT (+1-800-242-8478). No account is required — just save the number and start chatting. The service supports text messages, image uploads, voice messages, and image generation. It runs on GPT-5.5 with gpt-image-2 for image generation. Users can link their WhatsApp account to their ChatGPT account for context and history sync.

Background: Meta's Block

On January 15, 2026, Meta banned ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Perplexity from WhatsApp, leaving only its own AI assistant on the platform. This conflicted with the Digital Markets Act, which prohibits dominant platforms from unfairly restricting competitors.

EU Intervention

In June 2026, the European Commission issued interim measures forcing Meta to let competitors back on WhatsApp for free. This is one of the first cases where DMA has been applied in the context of AI services.

Global Expansion

Beyond WhatsApp, OpenAI is launching ChatGPT on South Korea's Kakao messenger and Viber in other markets, signaling a strategy to make ChatGPT available everywhere.

Georgia Context

WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps in Georgia. However, ChatGPT on WhatsApp is currently only available in the European Economic Area. This demonstrates how regulations affect the availability of technological services across different markets.

📖 Source