OpenAI has brought ChatGPT back to WhatsApp for users across the European Economic Area, while simultaneously extending the assistant to South Korea's Kakao and to Viber in select markets. The moves, announced on July 13, 2026, mark a renewed push to embed the assistant inside the messaging apps people already use every day.
July 13, 2026 · OpenAI
ChatGPT Returns to WhatsApp — and Spreads Across Messaging Apps
OpenAI revives ChatGPT for WhatsApp across the European Economic Area while extending the assistant to South Korea's KakaoTalk and to Viber, betting that everyday chat apps are the fastest route to billions of users.
3
messaging platforms now hosting ChatGPT: WhatsApp, Viber, KakaoTalk
v28.0.0
minimum Viber version needed to summon ChatGPT
1-800
-CHATGPT: the verified contact EEA users message on WhatsApp
Where ChatGPT lives now — and how
WhatsApp
EEA · Experimental
Message 1-800-CHATGPT: questions, image uploads, voice notes, image generation, multi-language.
Viber
Most ChatGPT markets · Free
@ChatGPT tag in groups, image remixing, chat summaries, message refinement, translation — no registration for most features.
KakaoTalk
South Korea only
"ChatGPT for Kakao" built in — no separate app, latest models, cashback for Plus subscribers via Kakao.
The Platform Battle
A gap the return closes — and one it doesn't.
Meta AI remains the native default inside WhatsApp.
OpenAI arrives via partnerships & region-specific rollouts , not as a built-in.
A stop-start timeline
Late 2025Meta restricts 3rd-party AI on WhatsApp
→
Jan 15, 2026ChatGPT on WhatsApp deprecated
→
Jul 13, 2026Revived for the EEA
The upside
Distribution power: reaching WhatsApp's vast base, Kakao's dominance in South Korea and Viber's regional strongholds — all inside apps people already use daily.
The concern
Privacy and data handling — especially for EEA users under strict data-protection rules. Access stays uneven, hinging on partnerships and regional regulation.
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