WhatsApp users can select third-party apps they trust and opt out at any time.
According to a report from WABetaInfo, WhatsApp users could soon have the capability to send messages to third-party apps like Signal and Telegram. This new feature is reportedly being developed in compliance with Europe’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations, which require large companies, or 'gatekeepers', to enable communication between various messaging apps within six months.
The feature was observed in WhatsApp beta version 2.24.5.18. According to the screenshot included in the report, WhatsApp is actively developing the option to disable the chat interoperability service for a forthcoming update of the app. Additionally, the report indicates that the messaging platform will empower users to determine which third-party apps they can exchange messages with. This level of control will enable users to manage the sharing of their data with external services, allowing them to select trusted apps and opt out at their discretion.
It's important to note that disabling the chat interoperability service will result in the loss of the ability to send or receive messages in third-party apps. Subsequently, these chats will switch to read-only mode, remaining accessible within WhatsApp until you choose to delete them.
This feature is currently under development, and the company has not disclosed any release timeline. Dick Brouwer, an engineering director at WhatsApp, confirmed to Wired magazine that the chat interoperability feature will be released soon in response to the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations. Initially, the feature will focus on messages, media files, and documents rather than calls and group chats.
Furthermore, WhatsApp recently introduced a new 'Search by Date' feature for Android users. With this feature, users can search for messages, media files, or documents by entering the date they were sent. This allows users to easily navigate through thousands of chats to find specific messages. According to the company, the search-by-date feature is currently being rolled out for Android users and is already available on iOS, Mac, and WhatsApp web.
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