WhatsApp’s Surprise, Ground-Breaking New Feature Is Just Days Away

WhatsApp is about to change out of all recognition. Thanks to the Digital Markets Act, coming into force in the European Union in March 2024, the messaging app is opening up to third parties. And a new report says that it’s coming sooner than many analysts had expected.

WhatsApp is about to change out of all recognition.

SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

March 3 update below. This post was first published on February 29, 2024.

While it was known that the DMA would arrive in early March, WhatsApp hadn’t said anything about when it would comply. In the DMA, WhatsApp was declared a gatekeeper app, whose significant influence meant that it had to open things up. This was understood to mean that the app would add separate inboxes for different messaging apps.

So, if someone was messaging you through Messenger, Signal or even Apple iMessage, WhatsApp had to provide the capability for the message to show up in WhatsApp. Oh, joy, no more wracking your brain to remember which service your friends prefer, it would come to WhatsApp automatically.

MORE FROM FORBESWhatsApp About To Add New Feature For Third-Party Messaging AppsBy David Phelan

Now, according to WABetaInfo—widely considered the authority when it comes to all things WhatsApp—these game-changing updates are on their way.

Here’s what the site says, and reading between the lines, it’s telling us something quite surprising.

“The Digital Markets Act (DMA) targets large tech companies who heavily influence the digital market, requiring them to facilitate user communication across multiple apps. Since it is required by law, WhatsApp must offer support for third-party chats to their European Region users. Thanks to the latest WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.5.18 update, which is available on the Google Play Store, we discovered that WhatsApp is working on the chat interoperability feature!”

MORE FROM FORBESSamsung Galaxy Ring: Hands-On With The Game-Changing New WearableBy David Phelan

That’s especially interesting because much of the focus of the DMA has been on the iPhone, but it’s the Google version of WhatsApp that is showing these changes coming soon.

Third-party chats are on their way for WhatsApp soon.

WABetaInfo

And, just as intriguingly, the screenshot WABetaInfo uses reveals that WhatsApp will let users choose what to do. The screen says, “You’re messaging someone outside of WhatsApp. Third-party apps may use different end-to-end encryption.” It also warns that other apps “may handle your data differently.”

As the site goes on, there’s great convenience available this way. “This move towards interoperability is a significant step for WhatsApp in aligning with EU regulations and providing users with more versatile communication options. Users in the European Region will be able to chat with others on WhatsApp using various messaging apps, even if they don’t have a WhatsApp account.”

Soon, it seems, WhatsApp is going to change radically, and will never quite be the same again.

MORE FROM FORBESiOS 17.4: The Game-Changing iPhone Update Just Added A New FeatureBy David Phelan

March 2 update. There’s more from WABetaInfo on the upcoming change. First, it said, “WhatsApp is in the process of developing a chat info screen dedicated to third-party chats for a future update. Since profile names and photos are unavailable in third-party chats, WhatsApp will instead display the default profile photo and the third-party app name from which the chat originated. In our example, we demonstrated a third-party chat with an Instagram account.”

What the third-party chat will look like in WhatsApp.

WABetaInfo

The site has a caveat for this information, though: “However, it’s important to clarify that Instagram is not a supported third-party app. Instead, it served as an example to illustrate how the third-party chat info screen appears. It’s worth noting that users will also be in control over which apps can communicate with their WhatsApp account, ensuring their preferences are always respected.”

It also mentions that third-party chats won’t be the same as regular chats from within WhatsApp. There will be limitations to some features. “Specifically, group chats involving third-party apps are not supported at the moment, meaning users cannot engage in group conversations that involve these external platforms. In addition, making calls with third-party apps isn’t supported either. Initially, communication with third-party chats may be restricted to text messages, but it’s worth mentioning that as WhatsApp continues to develop its integration with third-party apps, more features may be supported in the future. In addition, it is very important to note that this feature is optional as users will need to manually activate the interoperability service if they wish to use it.” WABetaInfo has previously said that users also have, “the ability to opt out if they choose, as highlighted in Article 7 of the regulations.”

March 3 update. More details are emerging about the introduction of third-party chats in WhatsApp. WABetaInfo has now reported that the latest beta update includes a screenshot that reveals that just as chat interoperability can be turned on when the feature goes live, it can be turned off as well. Well, that makes sense.

How to manage third-party chats in WhatsApp when its new feature launches.

WABetaInfo

The report says, “As you can see in the attached screenshot, WhatsApp is currently working on the ability to turn off the chat interoperability service, for a future update of the app. This is important as it is required by Article 7 of the EU regulations, which underscore the importance of user control over data sharing and communication preferences. In addition, WhatsApp is developing a feature to allow users to choose which third-party apps should communicate with the app, providing users with autonomy in choosing the extent of their integration with external services.”

So far, no third-party apps have yet said they will take advantage of this interoperability, but it seems highly likely they will. But maybe users will try an app service they haven’t used before, because their friends use it. And if they don’t care for it, they need to be able to opt out as easily as opt in.

WABetaInfo goes on, “The ability to selectively choose which third-party apps can communicate with WhatsApp offers users a customized experience, as they can opt for integration with only those services they trust. In addition, the option to disable the chat interoperability service will be important for those who no longer wish to use this feature, as it provides them with the freedom to opt out of the service at any time of their choosing.”

But there’s a caveat: “It is important to highlight that disabling the chat interoperability service means users will lose the ability to send or receive messages in third-party chats. In such instances, their existing third-party chats will transition to a read-only mode, remaining accessible within WhatsApp until they choose to delete them.”

More details will doubtless emerge about the new features, and there’s still no release date set. However, given that the Digital Markets Act requires “gatekeepers” such as WhatsApp to conform by March 7, it’s likely it will be very soon. Stay tuned.