Microsoft’s AI Chatbot Copilot To Exit WhatsApp In January 2026: What's Changing For Users?

In line with WhatsApp's revised platform guidelines, Microsoft has declared that its AI chatbot, Copilot, will no longer be supported on the messaging service platform from January 2026. Meta’s new policy prohibits AI chatbot providers from utilising the WhatsApp Business Solution, prompting Microsoft to pull its chatbot from the platform.

“This change is due to recent updates to WhatsApp’s platform policies removing all LLM chatbots from the platform effective January 15th, and as a result, Copilot will be discontinued…Copilot on WhatsApp will remain available through January 15, 2026. After that date, the service will no longer function,” Microsoft said in a blog post.

Microsoft explained that Copilot chats on WhatsApp won’t sync with other Copilot surfaces since the sessions are unauthenticated. Those looking to retain their conversation logs are encouraged to use the export functionality within WhatsApp ahead of the service’s termination.

“Since access to Copilot on WhatsApp is unauthenticated, Copilot cannot transfer the chat history on other Copilot surfaces. If you need to retain your conversations, please export them using WhatsApp’s export tools before January 15, 2026,” Microsoft said.

However, the tech giant confirmed that Copilot will stay live on copilot.microsoft.com and via the iOS and Android mobile apps. It notes that these platforms include the basic functionalities present on WhatsApp, alongside extra features that WhatsApp does not currently support.

WhatsApp’s latest regulations prohibit AI technology providers from using the WhatsApp Business Solution if their main offering involves AI capabilities like large language models or generative platforms. The restrictions cover both direct and indirect use and apply only when AI is the core service being provided.

Microsoft’s Copilot is the latest to discontinue its presence on WhatsApp, joining ChatGPT, which announced a similar move last month. Both AI services will no longer function on WhatsApp from Jan. 15, 2026. Users can still access their previous ChatGPT conversations by linking their accounts and viewing chat history in the ChatGPT app.