Meta Takes WhatsApp EU Compatibility to Next Level
In a significant move to expand its messaging capabilities in the European Union, WhatsApp has announced that it will be compatible with two new third-party messaging services, BirdyChat and Haiket. This development comes as part of Meta's efforts to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which requires the company to enable interoperability with other messaging platforms.
In a bid to ensure seamless communication across different platforms, WhatsApp will now allow users to send messages, images, voice messages, videos, and files between these services, regardless of whether they are using an Android or iOS device. Meta has confirmed that both BirdyChat and Haiket have been vetted for compatibility with WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption standards.
To cater to the requirements of the DMA, users will receive a notification in their WhatsApp settings tab, informing them of the availability of third-party chats and allowing them to opt-in or disable this feature at any time. The integration is set to roll out across Europe "soon," marking an exciting development for the messaging landscape in the region.
One notable aspect of this move is that users will not be able to create group chats with friends on these partner apps immediately, as this feature has been slated for a later release when Meta's partners are ready to support it. Nevertheless, this development demonstrates Meta's commitment to expanding WhatsApp's capabilities and meeting the requirements of the DMA.
It remains to be seen how this move will shape the messaging landscape in Europe, but one thing is certain – users can expect even greater flexibility and compatibility with their favorite messaging platforms in the coming months.
In a significant move to expand its messaging capabilities in the European Union, WhatsApp has announced that it will be compatible with two new third-party messaging services, BirdyChat and Haiket. This development comes as part of Meta's efforts to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which requires the company to enable interoperability with other messaging platforms.
In a bid to ensure seamless communication across different platforms, WhatsApp will now allow users to send messages, images, voice messages, videos, and files between these services, regardless of whether they are using an Android or iOS device. Meta has confirmed that both BirdyChat and Haiket have been vetted for compatibility with WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption standards.
To cater to the requirements of the DMA, users will receive a notification in their WhatsApp settings tab, informing them of the availability of third-party chats and allowing them to opt-in or disable this feature at any time. The integration is set to roll out across Europe "soon," marking an exciting development for the messaging landscape in the region.
One notable aspect of this move is that users will not be able to create group chats with friends on these partner apps immediately, as this feature has been slated for a later release when Meta's partners are ready to support it. Nevertheless, this development demonstrates Meta's commitment to expanding WhatsApp's capabilities and meeting the requirements of the DMA.
It remains to be seen how this move will shape the messaging landscape in Europe, but one thing is certain – users can expect even greater flexibility and compatibility with their favorite messaging platforms in the coming months.
think its about time whatsapp got with the times you know like whats the point of having end-to-end encryption if youre just gonna limit it to your own platform? 
anyway, this birdychat and haiket stuff seems legit, dont expect me to try them out myself though lol. so meta's finally playing by the rules and all that jazz. good for em! 
but now whats next? are we gonna see whatsapp on windows phones or something?
. It's like, we've got enough choice already, but now we're gonna have even more options? I mean, it's not like we didn't know this was coming, Meta's been talking about it for ages 
. But seriously, the fact that they're making it easy to switch between platforms is a big win for users.
. That's what we want, you know? A messaging app that's secure and doesn't play games with our data. And I'm glad they're being transparent about it too – no sneaky stuff here 
.
i mean its cool that theyre supporting end-to-end encryption too, but come on meta its been ages since u did anything significant 
gotta respect the DMA tho, at least u r trying to be compliant 
. i mean whats da point of havin a top messaging app if u cant even switch bettween platforms? anywayz, its all about dat end-to-end encryption tho 
. gotta make sure dey dont mess wit security standards.
will these third-party chats compromise on security or is meta doing a good job of vetting their partners? only time will tell