We are definitely just a few weeks away from the launch of one of WhatsApp’s biggest revolutions. Appointed by European legislation as the gatekeeper in accordance with the DMA, the app is working on what is called messaging interoperability. That is, the ability to send and receive messages to other competing applications.
With the launch of the first beta version on Android in the fall of 2023, things have accelerated with the addition of this important feature. This allowed us to get a first look at how the technology works, and this has also been confirmed by a new beta, this time on iOS, using exactly the latter. As the launch approached, WhatsApp’s director of engineering, Dick Brouwer, detailed in Wired’s columns how interoperability would present itself in concrete terms in messaging.
How will interoperability work in WhatsApp?
The first thing you need to know is that interoperability will not be enabled for users by default. They will decide from their own settings whether they want to receive or send messages to other applications. The reason stated by Dick Brouwer is security: “This is important because it can be a significant source of spam and scams.” explains.
As we saw in recent beta versions, users who enable interoperability will see a new inbox titled “third-party conversations” appear in WhatsApp. This is where messages sent from other applications will be stored. To begin with, let’s note that it will only be possible to send text, files and voice messages to other applications. Calls and group chats will not be available immediately.
Finally, Dick Brouwer emphasizes that interoperability will not be automatic with all messaging systems. For this to work, rival apps will need to sign a partnership to ensure they comply with WhatsApp’s security rules. This means you may not be able to chat with some messaging apps.
Source : wired
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