WhatsApp developing ‘chat interoperability’ in alignment with new EU regulations

WABetaInfo: New Feature Enables Users to Communicate Across Different Apps

San Francisco: Meta-owned WhatsApp is reportedly working on bringing “third-party chat” support on Android in order to comply with the new European Union (EU) regulations.

The new feature will offer users the ability to communicate with each other using different apps, according to WABetaInfo.

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For instance, someone from the Signal app could send a message to a WhatsApp user, even without a WhatsApp account.

The feature comes just days after the European Commission confirmed that Meta fits the definition of a “gatekeeper” under the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which mandates that communication software like WhatsApp allow interoperability with third-party messaging apps by March 2024.

According to the report, the feature is still in development and is not ready yet as it appears empty and not accessible to users.

Moreover, the report said that WhatsApp has a six-month period to align the app with the new regulations to provide its interoperability service in the European Union.

However, it remains unclear whether this feature will also eventually extend to countries beyond the EU.

Meanwhile, WhatsApp is reportedly working on a new feature — “filter groups chat” on Android, to provide users with better control over their conversations, making it easier to manage and prioritise their messages.

The new feature will allow users to get a list of their groups by excluding individual chats.

Users will also notice that the “Personal” filter has been renamed “Contacts” to better distinguish between individual and group chats, as the “Personal” filter previously included groups and communities. The new “Contacts” filter, on the other hand, will only include individual conversations.