Attention, university students drowning in deadlines and regretting last night’s “just one drink” decision: OpenAI has blessed us with the ultimate life hack—ChatGPT is has been available on WhatsApp since December 2024, in case you didn’t notice. That’s right, the chatbot that has been writing your essays (ahem, “helping with research”) is now just a text away. No logins, no awkward small talk, and best of all—no judgment.
How to Befriend Everyone’s Favourite Bot
Getting ChatGPT on WhatsApp is easier than signing up for a 9am lecture and actually showing up. Simply save +1 1800 242 8478 as a contact, open WhatsApp, and start chatting. That’s it. No need to sign into an OpenAI account, no need to remember yet another password, and no need to explain why you’re texting a robot at 3am about existential crises and instant ramen recipes.
Let’s be real: between coursework, part-time jobs, and the never-ending quest to avoid cooking, life is exhausting. But now, thanks to ChatGPT on WhatsApp, you have:
- A 24/7 study buddy that won’t judge your last-minute essay panic.
- An AI agony aunt for when you need relationship advice (Disclaimer: results may vary, ChatGPT is not responsible for your breakup).
- A personal Wikipedia (but actually accurate… mostly).
What ChatGPT Can (and Can’t) Do on WhatsApp
This text-based ChatGPT experience is free from the shackles of logins and subscriptions, but before you start planning your new AI-bestie status, there are a few caveats:
- Knowledge Cutoff Date: ChatGPT’s memory is stuck in September 2021, so don’t expect it to know about the latest memes, football results, or whatever fresh chaos Elon Musk has stirred up this week.
- No Group Chats: Sadly, you can’t add ChatGPT to your group chats (yet). Which means no AI referee for your flatmate debates on who left the milk out.
- No Emojis or GIF Reactions: ChatGPT will not appreciate your excessive use of crying-laughing emojis or that one GIF you use for everything. But hey, it won’t leave you on “Read” either.
- No personalisation: This version of ChatGPT is still somewhat basic—there’s no personalisation, no access to live search, and it won’t remember your past messages.
Those in the US and Canada can even talk with ChatGPT
For those in the United States and Canada, OpenAI has made it even easier to chat with ChatGPT—you can simply dial 1-800-ChatGPT (or 1-800-242-8478). No smartphone? No problem. You don’t even need an internet connection to get AI-powered wisdom on demand.
If you don’t already have a ChatGPT account, your calls are limited to 15 minutes per month, but that’s still plenty of time to ask about anything from travel advice to gift ideas or even the deep mysteries of life (like why student loans exist). Just chat away in a natural way—no need to code or speak in robot language.
A New Era of AI Conversations
Whether you’re asking ChatGPT for homework help, deep philosophical debates, or just someone to remind you how to boil an egg, this new WhatsApp integration is a game-changer. Sure, it’s not perfect—no up-to-date knowledge, no group chat functionality, and a slight possibility it might ghost us in the future. But hey, it’s still better at responding than that one friend who always “forgets” to text back.
With over two billion people using WhatsApp monthly and 300 million engaging with ChatGPT weekly, this could be a major step toward making AI a daily companion for millions. For the moment, it’s still quite experimental, and in times of high demand, the service may be temporarily unavailable.
So go on, text your new AI mate. Just don’t expect it to Grab your pizza or help you move flats. Even artificial intelligence has its limits.
