WhatsApp will accept messages from other instant messengers
Miscellaneous / / September 11, 2023
Telegram users will be able to write to relatives on WhatsApp without registering a new account.
In accordance with the new EU law “On Digital Services Act” (abbreviated DSA) WhatsApp getting ready become cross-platform.
The DSA law was adopted at the end of 2022 - it is because of it that Apple will have to allow install third-party applications on iPhone. But not only Apple, Google and Microsoft, as major market players, were subject to the DSA and its requirements, but also WhatsApp* and Messenger* from Meta*.
According to the new law, WhatsApp must add support for third-party instant messengers by March 2024. This should serve the main goals of the law - to prevent large market players from “imposing unfair conditions” and “ensuring access to important digital services.”
Cross-platform chat support will allow people to connect with WhatsApp users from another application. This will work even if the sender is not registered with WhatsApp. For example, if you only have Signal and Telegram, you can use these messengers to contact a relative who only has WhatsApp. True, the technical aspects are still unclear: with a high probability, such communication will not be protected by end-to-end encryption.
In the beta of WhatsApp for Android, we have already noticed a new section “Third-Party Chats”. Portal WABetaInfo shared screenshot:
There is nothing in this section yet: this is probably an interface test, while the integration itself is still in development. WhatsApp still has six months before the messenger will have to comply with new EU requirements.
It is unclear whether cross-platform communication will be available to WhatsApp users outside of Europe.
More news about WhatsApp🧐
- WhatsApp will allow you to disable video messages due to user complaints
- WhatsApp has released its own application for macOS
- WhatsApp for Android will get a more modern design
*Activities of Meta Platforms Inc. and its social networks Facebook and Instagram are prohibited in the Russian Federation.