ChatGPT in WhatsAPP Adds Image and Voice Support, Giving Users More Ways to Interact

WhatsApp now supports voice messages and images in its ChatGPT integration, making it even more versatile for users.

WhatsApp has broadened its integration of ChatGPT, enabling users to send images and voice notes for AI-assisted analysis. This feature arrives as a follow-up to the chatbot’s December 2024 launch, when OpenAI first added a toll-free number that also let people access ChatGPT via text messages on WhatsApp.

Now, users can upload pictures for the AI to interpret, or record their voices instead of typing. The chatbot continues to reply in text, enhancing convenience for those who prefer hands-free interactions.

With this latest iteration, ChatGPT on WhatsApp builds upon OpenAI’s ongoing efforts to make AI accessible in a range of formats.

The company previously introduced voice-enabled features in advanced voice mode, as well as more powerful reasoning with the o1 model series, the $200/month ChatGPT Pro plan and most recently with the o3-mini models. While the free tier on WhatsApp uses a standard GPT engine, subscribers to ChatGPT Pro can now link their accounts for GPT-4-level responses, adding another layer of sophistication to day-to-day messaging.

These expansions align with the growing interest in Artificial Intelligence (AI) features within popular apps. WhatsApp’s parent company, Meta Inc, has also been investing heavily in AI, going so far as to develop its own Meta AI assistant.

Today, WhatsApp hosts two different AI services—OpenAI’s chatbot and Meta’s integrated offering—giving users a choice between distinct approaches to automated help. The presence of both systems could foreshadow a competitive AI landscape within messaging platforms.

New Image and Voice Features for ChatGPT on WhatsApp

Those who add the official “1 (800) CHAT-GPT” number (1-800-242-8478) to their contacts can now send images for the assistant to examine.

While ChatGPT will not generate new pictures, it can outline key elements, read embedded text, or provide basic insights about the visual. Meanwhile, voice input allows users to deliver spoken prompts. ChatGPT then transcribes the audio and forms a text reply, mimicking what the service can do in other channels but bringing it into the everyday realm of WhatsApp conversations.

OpenAI’s expanded feature set just saw a major improvement yesterday with Deep Research mode, where users on Pro accounts can engage in structured investigations that extend beyond simple Q&A.

While Deep Research remains unavailable directly in WhatsApp, some tech observers predict it may eventually integrate if OpenAI decides to broaden the chatbot’s long-form capabilities in messaging apps.

For now, the move to support photos and audio stands out as an important step in delivering more accessible Conversational AI across different user interfaces.

Meta’s Competing AI in WhatsApp

Before ChatGPT appeared in WhatsApp, Meta had already introduced its own AI solutions throughout the platform, including an image generation tool that was launched in April 2024.

By typing “Imagine” along with a brief prompt, users can watch as Meta’s system assembles real-time visuals inside their chats. These additions highlight how AI Integration is no longer limited to text alone. Meta’s approach also hints at the rivalry shaping up between the company’s in-house AI tools and third-party assistants like ChatGPT.

Meta has extended its presence in AI beyond just communication. In late 2024, it reportedly began building an internal AI search engine to reduce reliance on Google and Microsoft.

This broader strategy intersects with WhatsApp’s user base and underscores the possibility that Meta might eventually unify more advanced in-house AI features within the messaging app, raising questions about how these external chatbots (like ChatGPT) will coexist in the long term.

Privacy, Machine Learning, and EU Scrutiny

The expanded WhatsApp integration raises questions about how user data is handled. While standard chats on WhatsApp enjoy end-to-end encryption, multimedia input and voice recordings sent to ChatGPT travel through OpenAI’s servers.

This processing relies on advanced Machine Learning (ML) techniques to refine the chatbot’s responses. Although OpenAI has not disclosed the precise policies for image and audio retention, the company has generally indicated that user data may be stored for model training purposes unless users opt out. Meta, which owns WhatsApp, has itself come under scrutiny in the European Union for its AI data practices.

ChatGPT is built on Large Language Models (LLMs), a technology capable of understanding and generating text through pattern recognition across vast datasets. OpenAI’s service exemplifies modern Generative AI, in which the system constructs replies to user queries rather than simply retrieving predefined responses.

While this makes for highly adaptive conversation, it also means that content is passed through external servers, prompting privacy discussions whenever AI chatbots handle personal media or spoken prompts.

WhatsApp’s Future with AI Assistants

Meta has hinted at ongoing plans to more deeply embed its own solutions into WhatsApp, even as OpenAI refines ChatGPT’s features for broader availability.

Observers note that OpenAI may eventually bring structured research capabilities—like its Deep Research tool—into everyday messaging, transforming apps like WhatsApp into fuller AI platforms. The evolution of these assistants, whether from Meta or OpenAI, reflects how AI Assistants are gradually becoming staples of modern communication software.

At present, users can freely choose between Meta’s built-in AI and OpenAI’s ChatGPT to handle queries ranging from text-based requests to voice notes and photos. In the long term, it remains uncertain how these two AI services will coexist inside WhatsApp.

If Meta advances its image-generation and search engine projects further, the messaging app could eventually favor native features. Meanwhile, OpenAI’s continued innovation with OpenAI technology may keep ChatGPT users engaged with the platform. The result is that WhatsApp, once a straightforward texting tool, has now become a space where two AI philosophies collide, bringing more options—and more complexity—to users worldwide.

Whether these features will gain traction depends largely on user habits. If people embrace sharing photos or speaking their queries, AI interactions might feel more natural than typing long prompts.

Markus Kasanmascheff
Markus Kasanmascheff
Markus has been covering the tech industry for more than 15 years. He is holding a Master´s degree in International Economics and is the founder and managing editor of Winbuzzer.com.

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