Meta updates WhatsApp and Messenger third-party chats in Europe

It complies with the Digital Markets Act

Meta updates third-party chats on WhatsApp
Credit: Qi Yang Creative / Moment / Getty Images

WhatsApp and Messenger in Europe are getting an upgrade.

In order to comply with Europe’s Digital Markets Act, Meta is giving WhatsApp and Messenger users the ability to connect with people using third-party messaging services, called third-party chats.

In a post from September 6, the company said it spent the past few months gathering information and data from users about what it needs to prioritize with regard to third-party chats.

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“As a result, we have built new notifications into WhatsApp and Messenger that inform users about third-party chats. We will remind users each time a new third-party messaging app becomes available,” the post reads. “We have also designed a simple onboarding flow for users where they can learn more about third-party chats and turn the feature on. Options include choosing which third-party apps they want to receive messages from, and how they would like to manage their inbox.”

According to Meta’s post, users can choose if they’d like to have their third-party messages delivered to a separate folder, to their current inbox, or any kind of combined way. Meta has also included features like reactions, direct replies, typing indicators, and read receipts. The options to create groups, voice call, and video call will be included in 2027.

“As discussed in more detail in our previous blog, building third-party chats is technically challenging and preserving privacy and security is a shared responsibility,” the post reads. “We have already come a long way, but there is a lot more to build.”

Christianna Silva is a Senior Culture Reporter at Mashable. They write about tech and digital culture, with a focus on Facebook and Instagram. Before joining Mashable, they worked as an editor at NPR and MTV News, a reporter at Teen Vogue and VICE News, and as a stablehand at a mini-horse farm. You can follow them on Twitter @christianna_j.

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