Meta-owned messaging giant, WhatsApp, is onto something game-changing! If you're tired of app-hopping to keep up with your multi-platform friend list, you're in luck. A recently released WhatsApp for Android beta update just hinted at the future of seamless messaging between different services!
Named "Third-Party Chats," this intriguing new screen on the beta update doesn't do much for now, but its very presence is setting tongues wagging! It's believed to be Meta's first step towards meeting the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA) compliance requirements, which mandate messaging apps to be interoperable by March 2024.
📝 WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.19.8: what's new?
— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) September 10, 2023
WhatsApp is working on complying with new EU regulations by developing support for chat interoperability, and it will be available in a future update of the app!https://t.co/XI6zMoOD5P pic.twitter.com/Jpd9Leh2Ki
Recently, the European Commission confirmed that Meta qualifies as a "gatekeeper" under the DMA. The law aims to prevent these digital titans from "imposing unfair conditions" and insists on "ensuring the openness of important digital services." Translation? WhatsApp will have to play nice with other messaging apps, letting users have a more unified and open digital communication experience.
But wait, there's more! Both Meta and Microsoft are said to be planning their own mobile app stores in response to DMA regulations. The European Commission is also scrutinizing other big names like Apple's iMessage and Microsoft's Bing search engine for compliance.
With the EU’s DMA pushing for interoperability, the future is looking brighter for those who seek a more unified, less fragmented digital world. And let's be honest, who doesn't want to break down those pesky digital walls?
So, hold tight! The days of jumping between apps could soon be over. With WhatsApp's "Third-Party Chats," the future of cross-platform messaging is closer than you think!
