WhatsApp will soon let you send messages to friends with other messaging apps, including Messenger from Facebook, Telegram, and Signal. Yes, really.
Until now, WhatsApp has been a closed ecosystem, with only those signed up for an account with the messaging service able to be contacted within the iPhone and Android app. Fortunately, most people do have an account, since it's the most popular messenger on the planet with over 2 billion users and counting.
When integrating a new messaging service, WhatsApp and Messenger will give the option to combine text messages from all apps into a single inbox, or separate them into different folders
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The shake-up to the chat app, which is owned by Meta — the same parent company that owns Facebook, hasn't come about because of a change of heart with the management in California. Instead, it's a response to the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which requires large tech companies to ensure interoperability between their services and third-party apps.
Meta has been working on this change for some time, as it tries to maintain privacy and security — WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption for all messages by default, something that isn't the case with Messenger, for example — whilst complying with the new regulations from Europe.
The company, started by Mark Zuckerberg, has now unveiled a first glimpse of how the integration between messaging services will work, showcasing new notifications and user interface elements designed to make the transition as smooth as possible for WhatsApp and Messenger users.
Digital Markets Act, introduced two years ago, was designed to curb the dominance of the largest technology companies and promote more competition. Under the legislation, Meta is classified as a "digital gatekeeper" and must make its messaging services interoperable with third-party apps.
Meta initially requested an extension, citing complications in ensuring end-to-end encryption across platforms. However, the Californian company now claims to have resolved these issues and is ready to implement the changes.
Meta's approach goes beyond basic interoperability. The company plans to offer rich messaging features such as reactions, direct replies to individual messages, typing indicators, and read receipts for all third-party chats. This aims to provide a seamless experience for users communicating across different platforms, including those not owned by Meta, like Telegram.
To maintain security across platforms, Meta will require third-party services to use the same encryption protocol as WhatsApp and Messenger, known as the Signal Protocol. This ensures messages remain private and secure by encrypting everything before it's sent, so that even if messages, pictures or videos are intercepted en route, criminals will be unable to decipher the contents.
Users will have the flexibility to choose how they manage their third-party chats. They can opt to view all messages in a single inbox or keep them separate in a dedicated folder.
Meta is introducing new notifications to inform users about available third-party chats and guide them through the onboarding process. The company aims to simplify the experience, allowing users to select which third-party apps they want to receive messages from and how they prefer to manage their inbox.
The implementation of third-party chat integration will be phased.
Meta-owned messaging services, like WhatsApp (left) and Messenger (right), will alert when a third-party messenger that meets the privacy and encryption requirements is available and can be integrated into the app
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Meta plans to introduce group chat functionality for third-party apps by 2025. Support for voice and video calls with users on other platforms is slated for 2027 at the earliest.
These changes will be limited to the EU Member States, where the DMA is law.
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At the moment, there's no indication from Meta about expanding this feature globally. This is the same approach that Apple has taken with iOS, which is now required to allow iPhone owners to install applications from third-party app stores — but only in Europe.
Microsoft also has separate versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11 for users in Europe, due to EU law.
As new third-party messaging apps — with support for the same Signal Protocol encryption technology — enter the market, WhatsApp users will be given the option to integrate them into the one-stop-shop messenger.
