WhatsApp will soon send messages to other apps – see what it will look like

Meta eventually pulled back the curtain WhatsApp talked about what its plans will be for third-party chats in Messenger and Messenger. This change coming for EU users introduces new options to keep Messenger and WhatsApp messages in the same inbox as third-party chats or keep them separate.

It’s also building new notifications into Messenger and WhatsApp that will let users know when they can link chats from newly supported apps. Meta says it “goes beyond the ‘basic’ features needed for interoperable messaging” and will offer rich messaging features like reactions, direct replies, typing indicators, and read receipts.

Starting next year, it will also include the option to create groups with other people in third-party chats. But Meta’s interoperability plans go far beyond messaging — the company says it will roll out support for third-party video and voice calls in 2027.

Meta has been working on bringing third-party chats to WhatsApp and Messenger for EU users for quite some time now. The company is considered a “digital gatekeeper” Under the EU Digital Markets Act, this means it must comply with requirements to make WhatsApp and Messenger interoperable with third-party apps such as iMessage, Telegram, Google Messages, Signal and others.

There are some hurdles to overcome, as there are other companies that want to integrate with WhatsApp and Messenger would need to use the same signal protocol To keep messages private. a copy of the agreement Third-party apps don’t need to be signed, with Meta saying it will make the Signal Protocol available to partners upon request.