WhatsApp is close to rolling out third-party chat support across the European Union, as part its compliance with the bloc's Digital Markets Act (DMA).
WhatsApp parent company Meta is required by the DMA to make its messaging platform interoperable with other third-party services, and Meta says the first apps that WhatsApp will support are BirdyChat and Haiket, following successful testing over recent months.
WhatsApp users on iOS and Android who choose to make use of the interoperability support will be able to share messages, images, voice messages, videos, and files. Meta says there will also be an option to create groups with third-party users, once its partners are ready to support the feature. Meta did not mention web apps or desktop apps, suggesting this will be mobile-only interoperability.
According to Meta, third-party messaging apps must use the same level of end-to-end encryption as WhatsApp to maintain security standards.
From Meta's newsroom post:
Meta's partnerships with BirdyChat and Haiket is a result of more than three years of work with European messaging services and the European Commission to build a solution to third-party chats that meets the requirements of the DMA, while preserving privacy and security for users as much as possible.
This follows three core principles:
- Protecting user security and privacy: In line with DMA requirements, third-party messaging apps must use the same level of E2EE as WhatsApp.
- Clear and simple experience: We've provided users with a simple onboarding experience, while ensuring they understand the main differences between chats on WhatsApp and third-party chats.
- Available to European users: In line with DMA requirements, third-party chats will be available to people in the European Region.
Meta says that over the coming months, WhatsApp users in the European Region will begin seeing a notification in the app's Settings tab that will explain how they can opt-in to connect with people on third-party apps. Meta intends to "expand our interoperability offerings" as required by the DMA, and will provide updates on its progress as it rolls out further features in time.
In February 2024, WhatsApp claimed it had been working on interoperability for years, and that its work was only partially motivated by the DMA.