There are plenty of places you can get access to ChatGPT: Not just in the official apps for the web and mobile devices, but also through Copilot from Microsoft, and in Apple's Siri assistant ... and inside the messaging app WhatsApp.
WhatsApp, run by Facebook developer Meta, is available free of charge on the web, and on Android and iOS. It's used by billions of people worldwide, which helps to explain why OpenAI has made ChatGPT available here as well as everywhere else.
Unfortunately, OpenAI will be pulling free access to its chatbot within WhatsApp on January 15, 2026. The company says this is because of a change to Meta’s “policy and terms” for the messaging platform. Either way, you have a couple months left to take advantage of the free usage.
You can use this whether you have a free or paid-for ChatGPT account, and you might find it easier to have your interactions with the AI alongside your other chats, if you spend a lot of time in WhatsApp. Just don't get ChatGPT mixed up with the real people you know.
How to Get Started
ChatGPT appears as a normal contact in WhatsApp. David Nield
To talk to ChatGPT inside WhatsApp, you need to add the AI bot as a contact: 1-800-242-8478 (that's 1-800-ChatGPT) is the number you need. From the main conversation list, tap the + (plus) button (bottom right on Android, top right on iOS), then pick New contact to add the ChatGPT number.