Meta has revealed detailed plans to bring third-party interoperability to its popular messaging apps, WhatsApp and Messenger, in compliance with Europe’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). The changes, aimed at promoting competition in digital marketplaces, will allow users to connect with third-party messaging services on both platforms, with full integration set for completion by 2027.
As part of the rollout, Meta will introduce notifications within WhatsApp and Messenger that alert users when new third-party messaging apps become available. Users will have the choice to receive messages from these apps either in a separate inbox or alongside their existing messages in a combined inbox. Meta is also adding an onboarding process to help users learn about and enable third-party chats.
Starting in 2025, group chats will be supported between WhatsApp, Messenger, and third-party apps. By 2027, users will be able to make voice and video calls across platforms, further enhancing communication flexibility. Additionally, Meta plans to introduce “rich messaging” features such as reactions, direct replies, typing indicators, and read receipts for third-party chats at an unspecified future date.
Meta emphasizes that security is a top priority, with end-to-end encryption required for all interoperable messages. The company will collaborate with third-party messaging services to ensure a smooth and secure user experience, though the specifics of which platforms will opt-in, such as Telegram or Viber, remain uncertain. Open-source messaging protocol Matrix has already confirmed experimental compatibility with WhatsApp, but broader adoption by other messaging services could present technical challenges.
Despite these developments, Meta faces ongoing regulatory challenges in the EU. The European Commission has recently criticized Meta’s “pay or consent” ad model for its non-compliance with the DMA, adding to the company’s legal battles. Nevertheless, Meta’s efforts to meet DMA requirements for messaging apps mark a significant step toward broader digital interoperability, offering users more flexibility and choice in how they communicate across different platforms.
The company has stated that users will begin seeing third-party chat options as soon as messaging services complete their integration, with further updates expected in the coming years.
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