According to TechRepublic, Microsoft’s Copilot will stop working on WhatsApp on January 15, 2026 following Meta’s decision to remove all general-purpose AI chatbots from the messaging platform. The company confirmed this isn’t their choice but a direct response to WhatsApp’s revised platform policies that restrict the Business API to commercial use, customer support, and notifications. Copilot launched on WhatsApp in late 2024 and quickly became a popular entry point for millions of users seeking lightweight AI access. OpenAI has already announced its own WhatsApp shutdown, and other AI providers are expected to follow. One major consequence is that users will lose their entire chat history since Copilot on WhatsApp operated without authentication.
Meta’s AI power play
Here’s the thing – this isn’t just about cleaning up the platform. Meta is making a calculated move to push its own AI offerings deeper into WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook. They’re essentially clearing the competitive landscape. Think about it: why would they let Microsoft and OpenAI build relationships with their users when they can steer everyone toward Meta AI instead? It’s a classic platform power move, and honestly, it’s pretty smart from a business perspective. But it does raise questions about how much control these giant platforms should have over what tools we can access.
The real pain for users
Losing chat history is genuinely annoying. Because Copilot on WhatsApp ran without requiring users to sign in, Microsoft can’t transfer those conversations to their official apps or website. So all those questions you asked, the helpful responses you received – gone unless you manually export them using WhatsApp’s built-in tools. And let’s be real, how many people are actually going to do that? Most users will probably just shrug and move on, which means Microsoft loses that continuity and context they could have used to keep people engaged. It’s a messy transition that highlights the downside of these lightweight, unauthenticated integrations.
Where Copilot lands next
Microsoft is quick to point out that Copilot remains fully available elsewhere – on their mobile apps, the web at copilot.microsoft.com, and built into Windows. These official platforms actually offer more advanced features like Copilot Voice, Vision, and Mico that the WhatsApp version never supported. Basically, they’re trying to frame this as an upgrade opportunity rather than a loss. But the reality is that WhatsApp provided incredible distribution – it was right there in an app people use constantly. Now Microsoft has to work harder to keep those casual users engaged. OpenAI faces the same challenge as they wind down their WhatsApp presence too.
The platform AI wars begin
This feels like the start of something bigger. Platforms are realizing that AI is too valuable to outsource to competitors. We’re going to see more of these walled gardens where the platform owner controls the AI experience. For companies that built their user acquisition strategy around these integrations, it’s a wake-up call. They need their own destinations and compelling reasons for people to seek them out. The era of easy distribution through messaging apps might be ending, and the real AI battle is just beginning. Who benefits? Probably the platforms themselves, while third-party AI companies have to work much harder for attention.
