WhatsApp, which is often in competition with other popular services such as Telegram and Signal, is widely considered to be one of the most popular encrypted instant messaging applications available for Android. This popularity, however, drew the attention of regulators in the European Union, where the European Commission came to the conclusion that the app was a gatekeeper in accordance with the Digital Markets Act description. Interoperability between WhatsApp and other applications is being provided by Meta in order to protect its intentions for continuous operations in the market. We now have our first look at the implementation of this feature, which is being released before it is officially released.
The creation of support for connecting with third-party chat applications has been in the works since September 2023, or maybe even before than that. However, the development process has been sluggish and has mostly been conducted behind closed doors. Interoperability, as its name indicates, will make it possible for WhatsApp to receive messages that have been sent from other chat applications such as Telegram. Additionally, WhatsApp users will be able to respond to such messages and connect with the sender without having to leave the program.
It was in February when we last saw Meta debating this topic. At that time, WhatsApp made it quite clear that the function will continue to be restricted to the “European Region.” Additionally, WhatsApp released the technical specs, which allowed other applications to join without violating encryption requirements. A video that reveals various things was recently posted by the respected app sleuth AssembleDebug (via SmartDroid). This video was released despite the fact that a few relevant screenshots had been discovered before.
Just around the bend comes the concept of interoperability
The video makes it quite clear that the option for third-party chat help will be made available on an opt-in basis, which means that users will be required to explicitly activate it. Make sure that the option is accessible by going to Settings, then Account, and finally Third-party conversations. At this point, WhatsApp shows a conspicuous disclaimer to users, warning them that frauds and spam may be more widespread in third-party conversations, and that these chats may handle user data in a completely different manner.
On a later page during the onboarding process, the application advises that individuals who are using other applications might seek you up by using your phone number. This could include those that you have banned on WhatsApp. On the other hand, Meta does not disclose your identity or profile picture to them. It should come as no surprise that more sophisticated app features, including as stickers, disappearing messages, and emoji replies to texts, are not supported.
The last page gives you the opportunity to choose the third-party applications that are compatible with your phone number and will allow you to search for it. Due to the fact that the functionality has not yet been released, the list is now empty in the video. However, you have the ability to revisit these settings by going to Settings, then Account, then Third-party conversations, and finally Selected applications. After it has been enabled, a choice that is referred to as Third-party conversations ought to appear at the very top of the conversations page. It would seem that Meta want to ensure that WhatsApp talks are kept distinct from chats with third-party applications, much as closed conversations.
In spite of this, the user interface for this feature seems to be ready for prime time, and it is anticipated that it will be released very soon. Wishful thinking for the time being, we genuinely hope that regulatory pressure will push WhatsApp to make this a common feature in all markets, but for the time being, it is simply speculation.
You can no longer take screenshots of profile images on WhatsApp
