Meta says it will add an easy-to-setup onboarding process to enable third-party chats on WhatsApp.
WhatsApp third-party chats will support typing indicators, reactions, and more
Photo Credit: Reuters
WhatsApp will soon start supporting third-party chats allowing users to send and receive messages. The announcement was made by the instant messaging platform's parent company Meta last week. The company said the decision to make the app interoperable was made after the European Union brought the Digital Markets Act (DMA) into force in 2022. Earlier, Meta asked for an extension highlighting complications in ensuring end-to-end encryption with third-party apps. However, it now says that those issues have been worked out and WhatsApp is ready to roll out the feature for users.
In a newsroom post, Meta highlighted that the company took an additional six months to build the technicalities for an interoperable feature that allows users to interact with users on separate messaging apps. The same is being built on Messenger, the messaging app integrated with Facebook. Meta claims its integration of the feature will preserve “privacy and security for users as much as possible.”
WhatsApp third party chats
Photo Credit: Meta
The social media giant also shared how the feature will look once it has been rolled out for users. WhatsApp is planning to build new notifications for its app that will let the user know about third-party chats. A reminder is said to be shared with users every time a new messaging app becomes available on WhatsApp.
Additionally, the instant messaging platform is also adding an onboarding flow for users to turn on third-party chats. The onboarding flow will let users choose third-party apps that they want to receive messages from as well as how they want to manage the inbox.
The company will allow users to either keep third-party chats separate from the main inbox interface or combine them all together. For those who would prefer to keep it separate, users can choose to get the messages delivered into a separate folder.
WhatsApp users will also be able to use some of the app-specific features such as message reactions, direct replies, typing indicators, as well as read receipts. Further, the company will also offer options to create groups and make voice and video calls in 2027.
The company said it is collaborating with third-party messaging services to provide a safe experience for WhatsApp users.
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