WhatsApp is testing third-party chat apps in a new beta, as the app will have to comply with the DMA’s interoperability mandate in Europe.
March 7th is nearly here, and it’s going to be a big day in Europe. All of the companies that have been designated as gatekeepers or operate gatekeeper services must implement changes that comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) requirements in Europe.
We have primarily focused on Apple and iPhone sideloading, but there are other important changes coming to the European tech landscape. Chat apps that are gatekeepers will have to open up to rivals come March 7th. Apple’s iMessage isn’t one of them, but Meta’s WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger apps both are.
WhatsApp announced months ago that it would enable chat interoperability in the region, so we knew the feature was in the works. We’ve yet to see it in action, but leaks show that support for third-party chat apps is being tested on Android. One of those leaks shows the best part of the feature: You can turn it off. It’s up to WhatsApp users to actually enable support for other apps.
The WhatsApp screenshots below come from a pair of WABetaInfo reports. The blog is famous for sharing unreleased features it discovers in betas. The first screenshot is taken from WhatsApp version 2.24.5.20, which rolled out to Google Play Beta Program testers:
As you can see in the image above, WhatsApp will let you chat with Instagram users, among other third-party chat apps.
