The problem with third-party messenger apps is that they’re generally limited to each other. This means that if you’re using Telegram, you can only message Telegram users. That used to be the case with WhatsApp, but that could change as the latest beta reveals the ability to send a message to other apps.
WhatsApp will soon support message to other apps
According to the latest beta of WhatsApp, discovered by WABetaInfo, Meta is working on a feature that would allow the app to send a message to other apps. But this isn’t about Meta being “generous” or wanting to allow users to connect with others. It has to do with the EU’s Digital Markets Act.
For those unfamiliar, the DMA requires apps determined as “gatekeepers” to comply with certain policies if they want to continue to operate in the region. In this case, WhatsApp will have to allow users to send messages to other apps. Before you get too excited, note that for now it appears to be quite limited.
Based on the current beta, users can only send apps to BirdyChat. However, we imagine that it will eventually open up to other apps in the future. Also, note that there could be additional limitations. This is because each messenger app is different, so you might miss out on certain app-specific features. But if you’re just looking to send and receive messages, it should be more than sufficient.
EU only for now
For those living outside of the EU, the bad news is that the feature is only available to EU users. This is because Meta has to comply with the EU’s rules, so that’s why it’s EU-only. Will Meta eventually bring the feature to other markets? That remains to be seen, but we don’t see why they wouldn’t. However, when that will happen is unclear, so we’ll just have to wait and see.
If you do live in the EU, note that this feature is currently in beta. If you’re not part of the WhatsApp beta, you won’t see it yet. You’ll have to wait until WhatsApp rolls it out in the public release.
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