Tech Desk 
Sep 09, 2024
Meta has announced to integrate third-party chats into its popular messaging platforms, WhatsApp and Messenger, starting with users in the European Union (EU).
The upcoming upgrade comes by the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and will offer enhanced flexibility, allowing users to choose between messages from Messenger, WhatsApp, and supported third-party apps in a single inbox or maintaining separate conversations.
To enhance the user experience, the company will introduce new notifications within Messenger and WhatsApp, alerting users when they have the option to link chats from newly supported third-party apps.
Read more: WhatsApp to introduce Meta AI assistant for businesses
The company also emphasised its commitment to exceeding the basic requirements for interoperable messaging by providing a set of features, including reactions, typing indicators, direct replies, and read receipts.
Moreover, the company also aims to introduce the ability to create groups with contacts from third-party chat apps by 2025, and video and voice calls scheduled by 2027, further bridging the gap between messaging services.
All these developments come as a part of Meta’s designation as a "digital gatekeeper" under the EU's Digital Markets Act, which mandates interoperability with third-party messaging apps such as Telegram, Google Messages, iMessage, and Signal.
Currently, the feature is expected to be available for EU users only. However, Meta is yet to announce the launch date.
