WhatsApp is working on a feature that will enable cross-platform messaging, a report said. This means that if people do not have WhatsApp installed on their phones, they will still be able to communicate with others who use the app.
The European Commission recently confirmed Meta – which owns Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp – as ‘gatekeeper’. One of the rules that these ‘gatekeepers’ are required to comply with is developing support for chat interoperability, which means support for cross-platform messaging. It seems that the company has already started working in that direction.
According to a report by WABetainfo, the company that tests WhatsApp features before they are rolled out to the masses, “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!”
The platform spotted the feature in a beta update on Android for WhatsApp with the version number 2.23.19.8. This feature is under development so it’s not ready for beta testers.
What is the feature?
Interoperability, or cross platform communication, will enable people to contact users on WhatsApp even if they don’t have a WhatsApp account. For example, if someone uses the Signal app or Telegram, he/ she can send a message from the Signal/ Telegram app to a WhatsApp user, even if he/ she doesn’t have a WhatsApp account.
“While this broader network can definitely enhance communication with those people who use different messaging apps and assist those small apps in competing within the messaging app industry, we acknowledge that this approach may also raise important considerations about end-to-end encryption when receiving a message from users who don’t use WhatsApp,” the report said.
It also ‘confirmed’ that end-to-end encryption will have to be preserved in interoperable messaging systems.
How WhatsApp can bring interoperability
WABetainfo shared a screenshot suggesting that it is working on a new section dedicated to the new regulations. It must be noted that WhatsApp has six months to align the app with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act and provide service in the region.
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