Interoperability is something that the company is expected to implement in accordance with Europe’s Digital Markets Act.
In order to enhance interoperability with third-party chat apps, Meta is making modifications to WhatsApp and Messenger. These modifications are being made in Europe, and the company is releasing instructions on how the new feature would function in a blog post. According to previous reports, Meta began working on enabling third-party chats in the year following the implementation of the regulations outlined in the Digital Markets Act (DMA) of the bloc. This is because the DMA prohibits “gatekeepers,” which are the major organizations and platforms in the market, from favoring their own services. As a result, “gatekeepers” are required to maintain interoperability with third parties.
A statement from the company stated that it solicited comments from prospective partners and other stakeholders in order to assist it in shaping the new experience. To begin, it developed new notifications for WhatsApp and Messenger that would notify users whenever a third-party service becomes ready for integration. These notifications would allow consumers to be informed without delay. The users will have the ability to select which third-party applications they wish to get messages from, and they will also have the option to receive those messages in a separate inbox according to their preferences. A combined inbox is an alternative that can be used by individuals who do not mind receiving messages in addition to their Messenger or WhatsApp conversations.
Rich messaging capabilities will also be added to third-party conversations offered by the applications, making them more than just a text-based communication medium. Users will be able to respond to specific messages and immediately reply to them, as well as see an indicator while the other person is typing and receive read receipts. They will be able to create group conversations the following year, and by the year 2027, they will be able to make audio and video calls to their pals who are using different apps.
“Users will start to see the third-party chat option when a third-party messaging service has built, tested, and launched the necessary technology to make the feature a positive and secure user experience,” explained Meta. As a result, not all people’s preferred messaging app will be integrated with messages sent through WhatsApp and Messenger. On the other hand, the company has stated that it would continue to work together with other services in order to broaden its availability.