Meta is getting ready to launch third-party chat integration on WhatsApp in Europe, the company announced[1] on Friday. The tech giant notes 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 that have chosen to make their apps interoperable.
“Following successful small-scale tests over the past months, the option for WhatsApp users to chat with users of messaging apps BirdyChat[2] and Haiket[3] directly via third-party chats will soon be rolling out across Europe,” Meta wrote in a blog post[4]. “This marks a significant milestone in Meta’s compliance with the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) interoperability requirements.”
Users in Europe who have opted in to the third-party integration will be able to share messages, images, voice messages, videos, and files. The option to create groups with third-party users will launch once Meta’s partners are ready to support it, the company says.
Over the coming months, users in the European Region will begin seeing a notification in the “Settings” tab that will explain the process of opting in to connect with people on third-party apps. Third-party integrations will only work on Android and iOS, not on desktops, web, or tablets.
Of course, connecting with people on other messaging apps is optional, and users can turn third-party chats on or off at any time.
Meta says its partnerships with BirdyChat and Haiket are the result of a three-year collaboration with the European messaging services and the European Commission to develop a third-party chat solution that complies with DMA requirements.
Additionally, the company notes that third-party messaging must use the same level of end-to-end encryption 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 on WhatsApp[5] will look like, noting that users will be able to set up a designated folder for third-party messages or opt for a combined inbox. The company also said at the time that it would notify users each time a new third-party messaging app became available.