WhatsApp will launch third-party chat integration in Europe soon

Meta is preparing to launch third-party chat integration on WhatsApp in Europe, the company announced on Friday. The tech giant points out that the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) requires it to give users in Europe the option to chat with people using third-party messaging services who have chosen to make their apps interoperable.

“After successful small-scale testing over the past months, the option for WhatsApp users to chat with users of messaging apps BirdyChat and Haiket directly via third-party chats will soon be rolled out across Europe,” Meta wrote in a blog post. “This represents an important milestone in Meta’s compliance with the interoperability requirements of the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA).

Users in Europe who opt for the third-party integration will be able to share messages, photos, voice messages, videos, and files. The company says the option to create groups with external users will launch once Meta Partners are ready to support it.

Over the coming months, users in the European region will start seeing a notification in the Settings tab explaining the process of opting in to communicate with people on third-party apps. Third-party integrations will only work on Android and iOS, not on desktop, web, or tablets.

Of course, communicating with people on other messaging apps is optional, and users can turn third-party conversations on or off at any time.

Meta says its partnerships with BirdyChat and Haiket are the result of a three-year collaboration with European messaging services and the European Commission to develop a third-party chat solution that complies with DMA requirements.

Additionally, the company points out that third-party messages must use the same end-to-end encryption level as WhatsApp. Meta also says it has ensured that users will understand the differences between chats on WhatsApp and third-party chats.

Back in September 2024, Meta shared what third-party chats would look like on WhatsApp, stating that users would be able to set up a dedicated folder for third-party messages or opt for a built-in inbox. The company also said at the time that it would notify users every time a new third-party messaging app became available.