WhatsApp third-party integration

 WhatsApp's upcoming integration reveals exciting changes 

EU’s Digital Markets Act, after many other consumer-friendly wins, is about to bring us WhatsApp third-party integration. This is something which has been in the works for quite some time now. Like Apple, Meta has stated this feature will be exclusive to the EU region. This new addition will allow WhatsApp to send and receive messages from other apps. Following are the some of the important points:-

WhatsApp is working on interoperability with third-party chat apps for compliance with the Digital Markets Act in the EU.

A new report reveals users will have to manually opt-in for third-party chat support under Account settings.

Third-party chats will be kept separate from WhatsApp chats, with limited support for features.

Meta’s WhatsApp has always been a closed app. Users couldn’t integrate it with any other app, let alone rival messaging platforms. The EU, in its crusade against unfair monopolies, deemed this a problem that needed solving. Like its many cases against Apple, the EU has forced Meta to adopt changes to continue operating in EU countries. WhatsApp is arguably one of the most popular encrypted instant messaging apps on Android. To safeguard its plans for continued operations in the market, Meta is giving WhatsApp interoperability with other apps and we now have our first look at the implementation ahead of its official release.

Support for integrating with third-party chat apps has been in the works since September 2023, or maybe even before that, but development has been slow, and mostly behind closed doors. Meta last talked about the upcoming WhatsApp third-party integration back in March. Much to the chagrin of many users, Meta said the feature would be EU-exclusive. This follows Apple’s strategy of only applying changes where required by the law. As the name suggests, interoperability will allow WhatsApp to receive messages sent from other chat apps like Telegram, and WhatsApp users will be allowed to reply and interact with the sender without exiting the app.

We last spotted Meta discussing this in February, when WhatsApp made it clear the feature will remain exclusive to the “European Region,” but it also disclosed the technical specifications, so other apps can join without breaking encryption standards. Although a few related screenshots surfaced earlier, reputable app sleuth AssembleDebug recently shared a video which clarifies several details (via SmartDroid). WhatsApp’s third-party integration will allow users to send and receive messages from rival messaging apps. This includes Signal and the very popular but somewhat controversial Telegram. The new feature will no longer require users to switch between different applications to participate in different chats. Meta has been firm that it will uphold all necessary encryption standards to protect user privacy and data.

From the video, it is evident that the option for third-party chat support will be an opt-in, meaning users will have to enable it manually. The toggle should be available under Settings → Account → Third-party chats. Here, WhatsApp displays a prominent notification warning users that scams and spam may be more prevalent in third-party chats, and they may handle user data differently. As is common, TheSpAndroid dove into the app and found partially complete code to share. It seems WhatsApp third-party integration will be a manual option for users. Those who want to make use of it will have to enable it themselves. Users can also go into Selected apps to manually choose which apps they’re comfortable sharing their phone number with. Chosen apps will allow users of those apps to look up WhatsApp users via phone number.

In a subsequent on boarding screen, the app explains that people using other apps could look you up using your phone number, and this may include people you’ve blocked on WhatsApp. However, Meta doesn’t share your name and profile picture with them. Understandably, advanced app features like disappearing messages, stickers, and emoji reactions to messages aren’t supported. In the end, you get to choose the supported third-party apps where your phone number will be searchable. The list is empty in the video because the feature hasn’t rolled out yet, but you can revisit these settings under Settings → Account → Third-party chats → Selected apps. Once enabled, an option called Third-party chats should show up at the top of the Chats tab. Evidently, Meta plans to keep WhatsApp chats separate from third-party chats, quite like locked conversations.

Similar to what Apple did when forced to allow third-party app downloads, WhatsApp shows a warning. This warning message tells users that scams are more likely in third-party chats. It also warns users that other apps handle user data differently to WhatsApp. The UI for WhatsApp’s third-party integration can be seen in a video released. It’s worth noting this feature is likely to only support basic text messages alongside media sharing. Group chats, stickers, reactions, and disappearing messages are unlikely to be available on launch. The UI for this feature seems ready for prime time, and should be due for release in the near future. We sincerely hope regulatory pressure forces WhatsApp to make this a standard feature available around the world. Let's hope for the best.