WhatsApp spotted testing third-party chats again, feature expected to launch soon

WhatsApp third-party chats

• This feature was spotted by WABetaInfo in the WhatsApp beta for iOS 24.2.10.72 update that is available to download from the TestFlight app. 
• In the screenshot below we can see that there's a separate folder on top for "Third-party Chats". Presumably we would find chats with other apps under this folder. It isn't clear though how exactly this feature will work, and which apps are allowed.
• Once this feature is rolled out, it would allow WhatsApp users to chat with people on different message platforms directly from the app. It would work the same way for others to text people on WhatsApp without having to create an account. 

There's not much that we know about this feature but it's confirmed that WhatsApp is working on it for both Android and iOS devices. But the rollout might be limited to the EU since the feature is a result of compliance with the Act. According to the Act, WhatsApp is required to enable interoperability with other apps as it's considered a "gatekeeper" platform. WhatsApp has until March 2024 to enable this feature for users in the EU.

WhatsApp is built on end-to-end encryption, and it doesn't allow any cross functionality with other apps. It's one of the Meta apps that's kept separate from other sibling services. So with cross-platform messaging it's interesting to see how Meta plans to carry it out.