WhatsApp is getting a big makeover soon. The Digital Markets Act, which starts in the European Union in March 2024, is making the messaging app open to other companies. A recent report reveals that this change is happening sooner than analysts thought it would.
We knew the DMA would come in March, but WhatsApp hadn’t shared when it would follow the rules. Under the DMA, WhatsApp got labeled as a gatekeeper app, and it had to make changes because of its big impact. People thought this meant the app would create separate inboxes for various messaging apps.
Third-party Chats Coming to WhatsApp 
If your friends messaged you using Messenger, Signal, or Apple iMessage, WhatsApp had to make sure those messages could appear in WhatsApp. This means you wouldn’t need to stress about remembering which service your friends like – everything would just show up in WhatsApp automatically.
WABetaInfo, the go-to source for all things WhatsApp, says that these groundbreaking updates are on their way. The site shares some information, and if you read between the lines, it’s revealing something quite surprising.
The Digital Markets Act (DMA) focuses on big tech companies that have a strong impact on the digital market. It makes them help users communicate through various apps. Because of this law, WhatsApp has to provide support for third-party chats 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 attention on the DMA has been on the iPhone. However, the Google version of WhatsApp is the one indicating that these changes are on the way soon.
WhatsApp Users Decide which Platform to Send their Messages to 
Equally interesting, the screenshot shared by WABetaInfo indicates that WhatsApp will allow users to make choices. The screen message states, “You’re messaging someone outside of WhatsApp. Third-party apps may use different end-to-end encryption.” It also cautions that other apps “may handle your data differently.”
The site highlights 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 versatile 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 seems like WhatsApp is on the verge of a significant change, and it won’t be the same as before.
