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WhatsApp is preparing to introduce cross-messaging capabilities with other platforms. This means that users will soon be able to use WhatsApp to send messages to people using Signal, Telegram, and other messaging apps.
The reason behind this change is the EU rules that required Meta (the parent company of WhatsApp) to open up its messaging platform by March. Similarly, Apple is also opening up the iPhone to alternative app stores in Europe.
However, the exact details of how this interconnected system of messaging apps will work have remained somewhat of a mystery, with only leaked WhatsApp beta versions providing hints.
In an interview with Wired, Dick Brouwer, a WhatsApp engineering director, revealed some details about how WhatsApp users may be able to chat with other encrypted messaging apps.
The system will allow users to chat with people using other messaging services, but there are a few steps that both users and software developers need to follow. Firstly, users will have to opt-in to enable cross-app messaging, as it will not be enabled by default.
One challenge is that WhatsApp chats and third-party app chats will not be combined into a single inbox. Instead, if users opt-in to cross-app messaging, their third-party conversations will be placed in a separate "third-party chats" inbox. This means that users will need to tap on this separate inbox to access those conversations.
Brouwer explained that the decision to keep the inboxes separate is due to WhatsApp's inability to guarantee the same level of privacy and security offered by its own platform. By keeping them separate, WhatsApp creates a clear distinction between chats that meet its security standards and those that do not.
Another issue is that for a third-party service to be compatible with Meta's WhatsApp and Messenger apps, the company behind that service will need to sign an agreement with Meta, agreeing to certain terms.
The specific details of this agreement are not yet known, but some messaging services may be hesitant to be dependent on Meta, even if the terms are agreeable.
In summary, WhatsApp is introducing cross-messaging capabilities with other platforms, allowing users to chat with people using different messaging apps.
However, users will need to opt-in to enable this feature, and their conversations with third-party apps will be placed in a separate inbox.
This separation is to ensure that WhatsApp's security standards are maintained. Additionally, third-party services will need to sign an agreement with Meta to be compatible with WhatsApp and Messenger apps.
