In order to comply with the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA), Meta earlierAnnounceThis will enable interoperability between WhatsApp and two third-party messaging services, BirdyChat and Haiket. This marks the first confirmed rollout of this feature in the EU since WhatsApp began developing it after the Digital Markets Act came into effect in 2023.
Supports cross-platform file transfer and will be launched in Europe soon.
Meta stated that after several months of small-scale testing, it has been confirmed that WhatsApp works smoothly with BirdyChat and Haiket, and the integration will be launched "soon" in Europe.
At that time, regardless of whether they are using Android or iOS devices, users will be able to exchange text messages, pictures, voice messages, videos and files between these different services.
Forced end-to-end encryption, using an "optional" system.
Regarding privacy and security, Meta emphasizes that, in accordance with the Digital Markets Act, any communication service that partners with Meta must have end-to-end encryption technology at the same level as WhatsApp.
After the feature goes live, European users will see a notification in WhatsApp's "Settings" tab over the next few months, informing them how to opt-in to third-party chat features. Meta also reserves the right for users to choose whether to enable the feature or disable it at any time.
Group chat functionality is temporarily suspended, but will be expanded in the future.
It's worth noting that while Meta previously mentioned users would be able to create group chats with friends on the Partners app, this feature will not be available at launch. Meta stated that the group feature will roll out once partners are ready to support the capability.
Meta also pledged to continue expanding the interoperability of WhatsApp with more applications in accordance with the requirements of the Digital Markets Act.
