third-party chats Archives

AppWizard

September 27, 2024

WhatsApp Confirms Far-Reaching Feature And New Design Are Almost Here

WhatsApp is introducing a feature called "third-party chats," which will also be available on Facebook's Messenger app, initially exclusive to users in the European Union. This change is a response to the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA) aimed at reducing monopolistic practices among tech companies. The feature allows users to manage messages across different platforms more easily, and users can choose to consolidate chats into a single inbox or maintain separate folders. Meta aims to enhance the messaging experience with features like reactions, direct replies, typing indicators, and read receipts, with plans for group creation and voice/video calling capabilities by 2027. Security will be prioritized, requiring third-party services to use the same encryption protocols as WhatsApp and Messenger.

AppWizard

September 17, 2024

An Update on How We’re Building Safe and Secure Third-Party Chats for Users in Europe | Meta

Users of WhatsApp and Messenger in Europe can now connect with individuals using third-party messaging services due to the Digital Markets Act (DMA). This feature, known as third-party chats, allows for interoperability between different messaging platforms. New notifications will inform users about available third-party chat options, and there is a simplified onboarding process to activate this feature. Users can choose to manage third-party messages separately or in a unified inbox. The messaging system includes rich features such as reactions, direct replies, typing indicators, and read receipts, with plans to introduce group creation in 2025 and voice/video calling in 2027. The rollout of third-party chats will occur as third-party services develop and launch the necessary technology.

AppWizard

September 17, 2024

Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp to work better with other chat apps

In November 2022, the European Commission implemented the Digital Markets Act to promote fair competition and interoperability among messaging services. Meta has announced its strategy to comply with this regulation by introducing three features for Messenger and WhatsApp: 1. Users will receive notifications when a new third-party messaging platform becomes compatible with Messenger and WhatsApp. 2. Users can manage their chats by choosing to keep conversations from third-party services in a separate folder or alongside first-party chats. 3. Meta will enhance messaging functionalities with features like read receipts, typing indicators, replies, and reactions for third-party interactions, with plans to introduce group creation in 2025 and voice and video calling by 2027.

AppWizard

September 17, 2024

Meta details WhatsApp and Messenger’s cross-app messaging

The European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA) will require major tech companies to enable interoperability between messaging platforms. Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp and Messenger, is preparing to facilitate this by allowing users to communicate across different messaging apps. The rollout will begin with individual third-party chats, followed by group messaging in 2025 and calling features by 2027. While this requirement currently applies only to Europe, it may extend to other markets. Meta aims to enhance user experience by providing clear notifications for third-party chats and allowing users to manage their inboxes flexibly. The company is also working on advanced features like message reactions and read receipts to improve functionality. These developments represent a significant move towards breaking down barriers between messaging applications.

AppWizard

September 17, 2024

WhatsApp to allow messaging with third-party apps

WhatsApp is introducing a feature that allows users in the European Union to send and receive messages from third-party platforms, in compliance with the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Meta is also extending this capability to Facebook Messenger. Plans are in place to support third-party video and voice calls by 2027. Users will receive notifications to adjust their app settings for these new features. Additionally, WhatsApp is testing a feature that lets users access status updates from the list of individuals who have viewed their statuses, indicated by a green ring around the contact's profile picture. This beta update is currently available for Android users.

AppWizard

September 9, 2024

Meta Announces Next Steps for EU Messaging Interoperability

Meta is enhancing its messaging services for users in the European Union by allowing the import of chats from various third-party applications in compliance with the EU's Digital Markets Act. The company has introduced updated parameters and user interface improvements to facilitate this integration, including enhanced visibility of options to connect with users on other platforms, in-stream indicators, and notifications for incoming third-party chats. Users will have the choice to keep third-party messages separate from their primary chat inbox or combine them into a single inbox. Meta is also incorporating advanced messaging features such as reactions, direct replies, typing indicators, and read receipts for imported messages, with group creation capabilities planned for next year and voice and video calling features expected by 2027. However, end-to-end encryption for imported chats is not implemented, as not all third-party providers offer this security level, which may create confusion regarding the security of imported conversations. Keeping Meta and third-party chats separate could help clarify which chats are secure.

AppWizard

September 8, 2024

Meta updates WhatsApp and Messenger third-party chats in Europe

Meta is enhancing user experience on WhatsApp and Messenger by introducing "third-party chats" in response to the EU's Digital Markets Act. The company announced on September 6 that it has been gathering user insights to develop these functionalities, which will include notifications about new third-party messaging applications. An intuitive onboarding process will help users customize their preferences for receiving messages from third-party apps. Users can choose to receive third-party messages in a dedicated folder, their inbox, or both. Future updates will add features like reactions, direct replies, typing indicators, read receipts, group creation, voice calls, and video calls by 2027. Meta is committed to user privacy and security while addressing the technical challenges of developing third-party chats.