WhatsApp users across the European region will soon notice a new prompt inside the Settings tab, offering the ability to open conversations with people who rely on external messaging apps. This option, once enabled, can be turned on or off at any moment, giving users full control over whether they want their account to interact beyond the main WhatsApp network. The rollout covers both Android and iOS, ensuring broad availability across the European market once the update activates.
| Image credit: Meta
- WhatsApp is adding optional cross-app messaging for users across Europe.
- EU rules under the DMA are forcing WhatsApp to allow chats with approved third-party apps.
- Meta confirms BirdyChat and Haiket as the first external apps to connect with WhatsApp.
- Cross-service chats will remain end-to-end encrypted to meet strict EU security standards.
- WhatsApp will clearly label third-party chats to prevent confusion and explain key limitations.
WhatsApp users across the European region will soon notice a new prompt inside the Settings tab, offering the ability to open conversations with people who rely on external messaging apps. This option, once enabled, can be turned on or off at any moment, giving users full control over whether they want their account to interact beyond the main WhatsApp network. The rollout covers both Android and iOS, ensuring broad availability across the European market once the update activates.
Meta has confirmed that people who opt in will be able to exchange a wide range of content through these external links, including text, pictures, audio notes, clips, and regular files. The company emphasises that participation is entirely optional and that nobody will be automatically added to any cross-service communication channel. This will allow users to test the functionality at their own pace without committing to permanent changes in their communication habits.
The initiative stems from regulatory pressure requiring major tech companies to open certain services for interoperability within the EU. Under the bloc's Digital Markets Act, WhatsApp must allow interactions with approved third-party messaging platforms operating under compatible technical rules. Compliance with this framework is the main reason cross-service chats are being launched across Europe.
Instead of revealing the feature at the end of development, Meta has chosen to highlight the foundations that shaped the system. The company worked with partners and EU authorities for more than three years to craft a method that aligns with the DMA’s strict expectations while still trying to maintain user protection. The result is an approach that Meta considers workable within the constraints of European law.
BirdyChat and Haiket are the first external services that will be able to interface with WhatsApp accounts, giving people the ability to contact users who rely on those platforms. These apps will be the starting point for the interoperability effort, with the door open for additional participants if they meet the technical and regulatory criteria established for cross-network messaging. Their inclusion marks the beginning of Meta’s EU-mandated interoperability era.
Security requirements imposed by the DMA mean that any outside service integrating with WhatsApp must support end-to-end encryption at a level equivalent to what WhatsApp already offers. Meta highlights that safeguarding this protection was non-negotiable as it built the system, even though allowing external services introduces technical complexity. The company is presenting this adherence as a key pillar of its compliance strategy in Europe.
To avoid confusion, Meta says the onboarding process has been simplified so that users can clearly see how these external chats differ from the usual WhatsApp experience. The aim is to provide clarity without burdening people with technical language, especially since communication with third-party apps carries limitations and behavioural differences. This explanation will appear directly within the WhatsApp interface when the rollout begins.
Meta also points out that the encryption architecture underpinning cross-service messaging was designed to keep its privacy guarantees intact as far as the system allows. Although interoperability introduces new constraints, the company insists that the core protections remain aligned with WhatsApp’s established standards. This technical foundation is what Meta believes will make the feature acceptable under EU rules.