In some beta versions of WhatsApp for Android, the possibility of creating group chats with users who use third-party services, such as Telegram or other compatible platforms, has been identified. This does not mean that each function will be shared between different systems: it will rather be a form of interoperability, which will allow different technologies to communicate with each other. The idea comes from a European Union regulation, called DMA (Digital Markets Act), designed to prevent a few too large platforms (called gatekeepers) from making competition difficult. With these new rules, companies like Meta – which controls WhatsApp – must allow, at least in Europe, the sending and receiving of messages also to external apps. Ultimately, the user will decide whether to activate the function or not. Practical example: if a friend of yours uses Telegram and you use WhatsApp, you can start a chat (single or group) from WhatsApp without having to download Telegram. He will continue to see the conversation in his app and you in yours. Provided you decide to activate interoperability on your WhatsApp account, of course.
How WhatsApp interoperability works with other apps like Telegram
The feature emerged in the beta versions of WhatsApp for Android, in particular 2.25.32.7, distributed through the test program on Google Play, were discovered by the portal WABetaInfowho disclosed it. In these trial versions, Meta continues to work on the integration of individual and group chats with users external to the platform. The ability to communicate with people who use other apps is not yet available for everyone, but the presence of dedicated buttons and menu items indicates that development is at an advanced stage. The novelty does not arise from Meta’s desire to open up to competing messaging services, clearly, but from the need to respect the rules of the DMA: this European law requires the largest platforms to become compatible with third-party services, so as to avoid situations in which a few companies dominate the market.
Interoperability allows two independent systems to exchange data in a way that is understandable to both. In the case of messaging, just to speak in more “trivial” terms, it means that a message sent by WhatsApp can be read and deciphered correctly even by a user who uses another app, and vice versa. But for this to happen, security and privacy must be guaranteed. WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption, which is a method that protects messages so that they can only be read by the participants in the conversation. To maintain this level of security even in chats with external apps, WhatsApp invites other services to adopt the Signal protocol, the same cryptographic system used by the app itself. If a messaging service can demonstrate that its encryption system achieves the same level of protection, it can still be compatible. Before integration, each platform will have to pass technical checks to confirm the security of message exchange.
When the function is active, each user will be able to choose how to manage messages from external apps. It will be possible to collect them in the same WhatsApp chat list, or separate them into a separate section to keep them more organised. It will also be possible to decide who can add us to groups involving users who use third-party apps, thanks to the privacy options “Everyone”, “My contacts and people from third-party apps selected by users”, “My contacts only”, “My contacts except” and “No one”. In this way it will be possible to prevent unwanted situations, such as invitations from strangers and spam messages.
Not all WhatsApp features will be interoperable. More app-specific features, such as status updates, custom stickers, or disappearing messages, will not be supported. The main objective is to ensure essential communication, in a simple and stable way. Even for mixed groups, WhatsApp is working to ensure that functions such as sending photos, videos, documents and voice messages are seamless. To create these groups, however, all participants will need to have active interoperability. This prevents someone in the conversation from being unable to receive or decipher the messages.
Where the new WhatsApp feature will be available
Barring any surprises, Meta should roll out the feature for users in the EU. This is because, as already mentioned before, interoperability with third-party messaging services was not a commercial choice, but a mere adaptation to European regulations which, in fact, forced Meta to open its iconic messaging app to other platforms. As for when WhatsApp interoperability will be available, we cannot currently know. The team of WABetaInfowho identified the innovations we told you about, however, stated:
While it has not yet been rolled out to users, it is expected to launch once WhatsApp’s internal testing and final optimizations are completed in the coming weeks. Usually, WhatsApp makes sure that new features meet its quality and stability standards before a global release.
