Editor’s take: As part of Meta’s obligations under the EU’s Digital Markets Act, the company has to make WhatsApp and Messenger interoperable with other messaging apps like Apple Messages, Telegram, Signal, and Google Messages.
Meta has now revealed how third-party chats on WhatsApp and Messenger will work for users in Europe.
As cool as these changes may look, they are limited to users in the EU.
However, Meta doesn’t gain anything from it, so the motivation to implement interoperability globally isn’t there.
Rather than forcing a one-size-fits-all approach, Meta will allow users to choose which third-party apps they want to integrate.
Users can keep third-party chats neatly separated in a dedicated inbox folder or combine everything – WhatsApp, Messenger, and external messages – into a single unified inbox.
More importantly, Meta says it will offer full-fledged rich messaging features across third-party chats, including reactions, direct replies, typing indicators, and read receipts from day one.
Users of other apps will even be able to join group chats in 2025, with voice/video calling following in 2027.
However, third-party apps would need to integrate the protocol and get Meta’s approval on the implementation, which is easier said than done.
Regardless, it’s a mandatory step outlined in the official agreement Meta plans to have service providers sign.
Interpretation from the editor: Meta is required by the EU’s Digital Markets Act to ensure that WhatsApp and Messenger are compatible with other messaging applications such as Apple Messages, Telegram, Signal, and Google Messages. The functionality of third-party chats on WhatsApp and Messenger for users in Europe has now been made public by Meta.
Even though these modifications seem awesome, only EU users can take advantage of them. It’s unclear if Meta intends to increase availability globally. In theory, once the European transition is finished, it shouldn’t be too hard.
But Meta doesn’t benefit from it, so there’s no incentive to enforce interoperability everywhere. Since few other nations have adopted the EU’s regulatory framework, mandates from outside of Europe that force the company to comply also seem improbable.
Meta will let users select which third-party apps they want to integrate, as opposed to imposing a one-size-fits-all solution. Users have the option to consolidate all of their messages from external sources, WhatsApp, and Messenger into a single, unified inbox, or they can keep third-party chats neatly segregated in their own inbox folder. During setup, each Meta app will display these preferences; however, users are free to change views at any time.
Since Meta is aware that certain users might require assistance, it has incorporated an onboarding procedure that clarifies third-party integration and allows users to select which outside apps to permit. When a specific service is enabled, Meta will notify users whenever new compatibility is released.
More significantly, Meta claims that from the start, it will provide full-featured rich messaging capabilities to third-party chats, such as read receipts, typing indicators, reactions, and direct replies. In 2025, users of other apps will also be able to participate in group chats; in 2027, voice and video calling will be added.
It’s not an easy task to get all these messaging apps to communicate with one another. To maintain security, getting everyone to use the same encryption protocol is a significant challenge. Sharing access to WhatsApp’s Signal Protocol is Meta’s answer.
Nevertheless, it would be more difficult said than done for third-party apps to integrate the protocol and obtain Meta’s approval before being implemented. That being said, the formal agreement that Meta intends to have service providers sign specifies that this is a necessary step.
