WhatsApp will soon let you send messages to other apps
WhatsApp will soon support third-party chats, allowing users to send and receive messages. The announcement was made last week by the instant messaging platform’s parent company, Meta. The company said the decision to make the app interoperable came after the European Union allowed the Digital Markets Act (DMA) to come into effect in 2022. Meta previously asked for an extension, highlighting the complications of ensuring end-to-end encryption with third-party apps. However, the company now says those issues have been resolved and WhatsApp is ready to roll out the feature to users.
WhatsApp introduces third-party chats
In a newsroom afterMeta stressed that the company needed another six months to build the technical details for an interoperable feature that would allow users to communicate with users on separate messaging apps. The same is being built on Messenger, the messaging app that is integrated with Facebook. Meta claims that the integration of the feature will “preserve user privacy and security as much as possible.”
Third-party WhatsApp chats
Photo credit: Meta
The social media giant also shared how the feature will look like once it rolls out to users. WhatsApp is planning to build new notifications for its app that will notify users about third-party chats. It is said that a reminder will be shared with users every time a new messaging app becomes available on WhatsApp.
Additionally, the instant messaging platform is also adding an onboarding flow that allows users to enable third-party chats. The onboarding flow allows users to choose the third-party apps they want to receive messages from and how they want to manage the inbox.
The company will allow users to keep third-party chats separate from the main inbox interface or merge them all together. For those who prefer to keep it separate, users can opt to have the messages delivered to a separate folder.
WhatsApp users will also be able to enjoy some app-specific features such as message reactions, direct replies, typing indicators and read receipts. The company will also offer options to create groups and make voice and video calls in 2027.
The company says it is working with third-party messaging services to provide a secure experience for WhatsApp users.
