WhatsApp is going to undergo a big change soon. The Digital Markets Act, which starts in the European Union in March 2024, makes the messaging app open to other companies. A recent report reveals that this shift is happening sooner than analysts thought it would.
We knew DMA was coming in March, but WhatsApp didn’t say when it would follow the rules. According to the DMA, WhatsApp was designated as a watchdog app and had to make changes due to its high impact. People thought this meant the app would create separate inboxes for different messaging apps.
Third-party chats are coming to WhatsApp
If your friends send you messages via Messenger, Signal or Apple iMessage, WhatsApp needs to make sure that these messages can be displayed on WhatsApp. This means you won’t have to struggle to remember which service your friends like – everything will automatically appear in WhatsApp.
WABetaInfo, the go-to source for all things WhatsApp, says these ground-breaking updates are on the way. The site shares a bit of information, and if you read between the lines, it reveals something quite surprising.
The Digital Markets Act (DMA) focuses on large technology companies that have a strong influence on the digital market. This makes them help users communicate through different applications. Because of this law, WhatsApp must provide third-party chat support to its users in the European region. The recent update, WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.5.18 found on the Google Play Store shows that WhatsApp is actively working on the chat interoperability feature!
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This is particularly interesting because most of the attention on DMA was focused on the iPhone. However, it is Google’s version of WhatsApp that indicates these changes are on the way soon.
WhatsApp users decide which platform to send their messages to 
Equally interesting is the screenshot shared by WABetaInfo indicates that WhatsApp will allow users to make choices. The message on the screen reads, “You are messaging someone outside of WhatsApp. Third-party apps may use different end-to-end encryption.” It also warns that other apps “may handle your data differently.”
The site emphasizes the convenience of this approach, stating: “This move towards interoperability is a significant step for WhatsApp in aligning with EU regulations and providing users with more diverse communication options. Users in the European region will be able to chat with others on WhatsApp using various messaging apps, even if they don’t have a WhatsApp account.”
It looks like WhatsApp is on the verge of a major change and it won’t be the same.
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