BRUSSELS: WhatsApp, the popular messaging platform owned by Meta, is set to introduce a new feature that will allow users to send and receive messages from third-party apps.
The latest update, which is initially available only to users in the European Union, aligns with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) aimed at fostering greater competition in digital markets.
The new feature enables WhatsApp users to connect with and communicate through various third-party messaging applications. This functionality will also be extended to Facebook Messenger, another Meta-owned platform, allowing users to engage in chats beyond Meta’s ecosystem.
Meta’s move is a strategic response to the DMA’s requirements, which mandate that major tech companies open their platforms to interoperability with other services. The company has emphasized that despite this integration, it remains committed to maintaining high standards of privacy and security for its users.
In practical terms, the feature will allow WhatsApp users to activate third-party messaging, choose which external apps they wish to connect with, and manage how their messages are organized across different platforms. Users will receive notifications prompting them to adjust their app settings to enable these new capabilities.
WhatsApp is also reportedly working on a new feature aimed at enhancing the user experience with status updates. According to a report by WABetaInfo, the app is testing functionality that allows users to open status updates directly from the list of people who have viewed their status.
This update, available in the beta version for Android users, will include a green ring around contacts’ profile pictures in the viewer list if those contacts have also posted a status update.
