WhatsApp to allow sending messages to Signal, Telegram users soon
WhatsApp is gearing up to introduce a chat interoperability feature, permitting users to send messages to other messaging apps like Signal and Telegram. This move comes as an answer to Europe's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations, which mandate large companies or "gatekeepers" to enable communication between different messaging apps within six months. As per WABetainfo, this feature is presently offered in WhatsApp beta version 2.24.5.18.
The feature will come with precautions
Users will have to opt-in to activate chat interoperability feature, and WhatsApp plans to add three precautions before enabling. The first states, "You're messaging someone outside of WhatsApp. Third-party apps may use different end-to-end encryption." The second cautions that "Spam and Scams may be more common in third-party chats." Finally, the third emphasizes that "Third-party apps have their own policies. They may handle your data differently than WhatsApp does." These chats will appear in a separate inbox within chats tab.
Interoperable chats will be limited to certain types
At first, interoperable chats will only support select forms of messaging such as text messages, images, voice messages, and videos. Features like calls and group chats could take years to become available for interoperable chats.
New service based on WhatsApp's existing client-server architecture
Dick Brouwer, an Engineering Director at WhatsApp, confirmed the feature's development to WIRED. He said, "We think that the best way to deliver this approach is through a solution that is built on WhatsApp's existing client-server architecture." "This effectively means that the approach that we're trying to take is for WhatsApp to document our client-server protocol and letting third-party clients connect directly to our infrastructure and exchange messages with WhatsApp clients," Brouwer added.
