Meta is making changes to WhatsApp and Messenger to add interoperability with third-party chat apps (in Europe, that is), and the company shared how it’s working in a new post. As per previous reports, Meta started working on enabling third-party chat last year after the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) rules came into effect. Under the DMA, industry “gatekeepers,” or the largest companies and platforms, are prohibited from giving preferential treatment to their own services and therefore must ensure interoperability with third parties.
The company said it gathered feedback from potential partners and other stakeholders to shape the new experience. First, it designed new notifications for WhatsApp and Messenger that notify users when a third-party service is available for integration. Users can choose which third-party apps they want to receive messages from and can choose whether to receive those messages in a separate inbox. Users who are comfortable receiving messages alongside their Messenger and WhatsApp chats can opt for a combined inbox instead.
These apps will also bring rich messaging features to third-party chats, so it’s not just text-only. Users will be able to react to specific messages and reply directly, see indicators when the other person is typing, get read receipts, and more. Next year, you’ll be able to create group chats, and in 2027, you’ll be able to voice and video call friends in other apps.
“Users will see third-party chat options as third-party messaging services build, test, and release the technology necessary to make their features a positive and safe user experience,” Mehta explained. So not everyone’s favorite messaging app will integrate with WhatsApp or Messenger, but the company said it will continue to work with other services to expand its availability.
