Whatsapp To Launch Third-party Chat Integration In Europe Soon

Meta is getting fresh to motorboat third-party chat integration connected WhatsApp successful Europe, nan institution announced connected Friday. The tech elephantine notes that nan EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) requires it to springiness users successful Europe nan action to chat pinch group utilizing third-party messaging services that person chosen to make their apps interoperable.

“Following successful small-scale tests complete nan past months, nan action for WhatsApp users to chat pinch users of messaging apps BirdyChat and Haiket straight via third-party chats will soon beryllium rolling retired crossed Europe,” Meta wrote successful a blog post. “This marks a important milestone successful Meta’s compliance pinch nan EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) interoperability requirements.”

Users successful Europe who person opted successful to nan third-party integration will beryllium capable to stock messages, images, voice messages, videos, and files. The action to create groups pinch third-party users will motorboat erstwhile Meta’s partners are fresh to support it, nan institution says.

Over nan coming months, users successful nan European Region will statesman seeing a notification successful nan “Settings” tab that will explicate nan process of opting successful to link pinch group connected third-party apps. Third-party integrations will only activity connected Android and iOS, not connected desktops, web, aliases tablets.

Image Credits:Meta

Of course, connecting pinch group connected different messaging apps is optional, and users tin move third-party chats connected aliases disconnected astatine immoderate time.

Meta says its partnerships pinch BirdyChat and Haiket are nan consequence of a three-year collaboration pinch nan European messaging services and nan European Commission to create a third-party chat solution that complies pinch DMA requirements.

Additionally, nan institution notes that third-party messaging must use the same level of end-to-end encryption as WhatsApp. Meta besides says it has ensured that users will understand nan differences betwixt chats connected WhatsApp and third-party chats.

Back successful September 2024, Meta shared what third-party chats connected WhatsApp will look like, noting that users will beryllium capable to group up a designated files for third-party messages aliases opt for a mixed inbox. The institution besides said astatine nan clip that it would notify users each clip a caller third-party messaging app became available.