Microsoft has announced that its AI chatbot, Copilot, will no longer be available on WhatsApp after January 15. From that date onward, WhatsApp users will lose access to the AI-powered chat feature unless they switch to Microsoft’s standalone Copilot mobile app or use the bot via the web.

The company stated that this move is in response to updated platform policies recently introduced by WhatsApp. These revised guidelines were unveiled last month.

Meta’s messaging platform clarified that it will discontinue support for general-purpose AI chatbots operating through its WhatsApp Business API. Instead, WhatsApp intends to prioritize other types of business integrations. While businesses can still leverage AI for customer service, this policy shift effectively ends WhatsApp’s role as a distribution channel for third-party AI assistants—impacting companies like Microsoft, OpenAI, and Perplexity.

OpenAI has already revealed plans to gradually phase out its WhatsApp integration starting in January.

For current Copilot users on WhatsApp, there’s an added drawback: chat histories won’t carry over when migrating to Microsoft’s official platforms. This is because interactions with the bot on WhatsApp were unauthenticated. Microsoft advises users who wish to retain their conversation logs to export them using WhatsApp’s built-in tools before the January 15 deadline.