WhatsApp to enable messaging across apps like Telegram and Signal
Once rolled out, the feature will allow users to manage cross-app messages in a separate folder, giving them control over how they interact beyond the WhatsApp network.
WhatsApp is preparing to let users send and receive messages to people on other messaging apps, a shift being hailed as the “SMS moment” for modern encrypted chat platforms.
The feature is currently being tested in the European Union and will allow WhatsApp users to connect with people using apps like Signal, Telegram, or even Google Messages, without requiring them to install WhatsApp.
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This change is part of Meta’s compliance with the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), a law that mandates major tech platforms to open their ecosystems to competitors.
According to reports from WABetaInfo and The Indian Express, a new section titled “Third-party chats” has quietly appeared in WhatsApp’s beta settings.
Once rolled out, the feature will allow users to manage cross-app messages in a separate folder, giving them control over how they interact beyond the WhatsApp network.
Meta says the goal is simple: interoperability. That means a WhatsApp user could send a message to a friend who prefers Telegram, and both would see the conversation appear in their respective apps - just like sending an SMS across different networks.
However, this convenience will come with limitations.
In the initial phase, only text messages, photos, voice notes, and documents will be supported. Popular WhatsApp features such as status updates, disappearing messages, stickers, and video calls will remain exclusive to the app, at least for now.
Despite these restrictions, industry analysts view the move as a potential game-changer. With this update, Meta could be setting a precedent that other major tech firms, including Apple, may eventually follow.
Still, questions remain around security and privacy.
WhatsApp insists all third-party messages will remain end-to-end encrypted, but experts caution that once messages cross into other apps, those apps’ encryption standards will determine how secure the communication truly is.
“The real test will be how Meta balances convenience with privacy,” said digital policy researcher Leon Bartholomew to The Verge.
The rollout will begin exclusively in the EU, with global expansion expected later, depending on user feedback and regulatory conditions.
For users in Kenya and other parts of Africa, this could eventually mean reaching customers or loved ones across different platforms - all from one chat screen.
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