WhatsApp announces interoperability with other messaging apps thanks to DMA

A rare regulatory good news story

WhatsApp will soon become interoperable with third-party messaging apps, a change driven directly by the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA).

For the first time, WhatsApp users on iOS and Android will have the option to enable "third-party chats," a dedicated feature allowing communication with users on other platforms that have implemented WhatsApp's interoperability protocol.

Two smaller apps – BirdyChat for work users and voice app Haiket – will be the first to connect, Meta announced. Once enabled, users will be able to send texts, images, videos, voice notes and files from WhatsApp to BirdyChat/Haiket, and vice versa.

Group messaging with users on external apps is not yet supported but is planned for future updates.

Meta said this expansion is more than a feature rollout; it reflects more than three years of collaboration with European messaging providers and the European Commission to ensure compliance with DMA obligations while maintaining strong user privacy protections.

"The DMA requires Meta to give people using WhatsApp in Europe the option to connect with people using third-party messaging services that have chosen to make their apps interoperable," Meta said.

It added that end-to-end encryption (E2EE) and existing privacy safeguards have been preserved "as far as possible" (which presumably means WhatsApp’s E2EE can’t be guaranteed when messages are delivered to other apps).

Levelling the playing field

The DMA, which aims to curb the power of so-called "gatekeepers," requires dominant platforms to ensure fair competition by allowing smaller players to connect with their systems.

WhatsApp, which holds a commanding share of Europe's messaging market, has long been seen as a walled garden that limits competition through its sheer scale.

By opening WhatsApp's network smaller messaging apps gain a realistic chance to reach users, who are often locked into their social circles’ preferred platform.

This change will make WhatsApp more like email, where users are able to choose any provider and can still message anyone.

Meta's compliance comes after a turbulent regulatory history in Europe: from the ban on personalised ads on Facebook and Instagram, to intense scrutiny earlier this year over Meta's claim that scraping EU citizens' data for AI training was in its "legitimate interest."

In contrast to other tech giants, such as Apple enabling app sideloading but imposing steep commission fees, Meta's implementation of WhatsApp interoperability is being viewed as a rare good-faith adaptation to the DMA.

But not all encrypted messengers are joining the interoperability wave. Signal and Threema, two platforms known for strict, uncompromising security standards, are unlikely to modify their systems to work with WhatsApp.

Both companies argue that adapting to Meta's interoperability protocols would require weakening their own cryptographic designs, a compromise they refuse to make.

More private and open alternatives

Despite some high-profile holdouts, experts believe this shift will invigorate the European messaging ecosystem.

One intriguing candidate is Element, an open-source messenger built on the decentralised Matrix protocol, which already allows E2EE chats and cross-platform communication.

While Element has not committed to supporting WhatsApp interoperability, Matrix cofounder Matthew Hodgson confirmed to Wired that his team has done "experimental" work with WhatsApp on this front.

The coming months will reveal how users respond – and whether more messaging platforms seize the opportunity to connect.

Computing says:

This is a (rare) story about the good regulation can do. The EU, as a whole market, is too big for companies to ignore. Rather than simply leaving, as tech firms discussed – though didn’t follow through on – prior to the UK’s Online Safety Act coming into force, the EU’s scale effectively forces them to adopt industry standards for the good of the consumer.

Apple’s adoption of the USB-C standard in place of its proprietary Lightning connector is another example.