WhatsApp has announced that it will roll out integration with third-party (other) chat apps in Europe. This move is in response to the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which requires WhatsApp to allow users in Europe to communicate with other messaging services.
The company stated that recent small-scale tests have been successful. Soon, users in Europe will be able to message users of apps such as “BirdyChat” and “Haiket” directly through WhatsApp. This is an important step in meeting the requirements of the DMA.
European users who opt into this feature will be able to send messages, pictures, voice messages, videos, and files. Meta noted that the ability to create groups with users of other apps will be added once the partner apps are ready.
In the coming months, European users will see a notification in the “Settings” section explaining how to enable this feature. It is important to note that the integration will only work on Android and iOS devices; it will not be available on desktop, web, or tablet versions.
The feature is entirely optional, and users can enable or disable it at any time. Meta also emphasized that connected third-party apps must provide the same level of end-to-end encryption as WhatsApp.
Previously, it was noted that users would be able to store these external chats in a separate folder or merge all messages into a single inbox.
