The arrival of a WhatsApp interoperable in Europe This marks a turning point for instant messaging in the region. For the first time, the Meta app will cease to be a completely closed environment and will begin communicating with third-party services, at least for some European users and under very specific conditions.
This change is not due to a spontaneous shift in the company's strategy, but rather to regulatory pressure from the Digital Markets Law (DMA) of the European Union. The regulation requires so-called “gatekeepers” to open their platforms so that other apps can interoperate with WhatsApp and compete on a somewhat more balanced playing field.
Context: the DMA and the new era of interoperability
Meta WhatsApp has confirmed that it will begin allowing communication with other messaging platforms within the European market. The goal is for users to be able to send messages to contacts who use different apps, without requiring all of them to be registered on the same service.
The key to everything lies in the Digital Markets ActThe DMA, a European regulation designed to curb the power of Big Tech and prevent them from blocking smaller competitors, effectively requires these giants to offer interoperability, so as to reduce the network effect that keeps users captive in a single app.
In the specific case of WhatsApp, the European Commission has designated the platform as one of these access gatekeepers. This means that, if it wants to continue operating in the EU without sanctions, it must enable pathways for... third-party messaging services connect to their infrastructure and be able to exchange messages with their users.
The process has not been improvised: according to various sources, the implementation of interoperability has taken more than three years of technical work and coordination between Meta, the European Commission and interested messaging developers, with special attention to security and end-to-end encryption.
How interoperability will work on WhatsApp
In the first phase, interoperability will reach European WhatsApp users as a optional functionWhen the app is updated, users will see a notification in the settings section explaining the new feature and allowing them to choose whether or not to enable chats with third-party apps.
Once activated, the function will allow send and receive messages with contacts who use compatible services, even if they don't have a WhatsApp account. The exchange will cover text, images, videos, audio notes, and documents—that is, most of the common formats already used within the app.
However, the initial scope of this opening will have clear limits: for now, the creation of mixed groups where users of different applications coexist. Interoperability will focus on one-to-one conversations, leaving groups for a later stage, if Meta and the regulators deem the necessary technical and security conditions are met.
Another important detail is platform support: integration will be available on Android and iOSAnd, for those who are changing devices, there is practical information about transfer WhatsApp from iPhone to AndroidWhile desktop, web, and tablet versions will be excluded, at least initially, this new feature will primarily be tested on mobile devices, which remain the central device for messaging in Europe.
Furthermore, interoperability will only apply to WhatsApp accounts registered with telephone numbers belonging to regions covered by the DMAThat is, the European Economic Area and countries bound by this regulation. If the number is associated with another region, the option will not appear, even if the user is physically located in Europe.
BirdyChat and Haiket: the first partners, although little known
To launch this new phase, Meta has chosen two messaging services that are barely known outside of specialized circles: BirdyChat and HaiketThese will be the first third-party applications that can officially interoperate with WhatsApp under the DMA framework.
Although these names may be almost unknown to the average user, their role is symbolically relevant. They reflect that interoperability is not only for large, established brands, but also opens up a space where European startups and small developers They can try to bring different approaches to messaging.
To connect with WhatsApp, these platforms must follow the technical and safety specifications defined by Meta and validated by the European Commission. This includes how messages are encrypted, how encryption keys are managed, and what minimum information is exchanged for the system to function.
With the model already in place with BirdyChat and Haiket, other services are expected to join in the future. Among the natural candidates frequently mentioned are: Signal, Telegram, or other niche appsas well as corporate communication tools interested in leveraging WhatsApp's enormous reach to reach their users.
What the user will see and be able to do on WhatsApp
From the perspective of the European user, the main novelty will be the possibility of talk to people who use other apps without needing to install each one individually. The activation process will be quite simple: a message within WhatsApp will explain that it's possible to connect with third-party apps, and this option can be turned on or off from the settings whenever desired.
Once interoperability is activated, WhatsApp will offer a choice of how these new messages are handled. Users will be able to choose between receive external messages in a separate inbox, clearly differentiated from traditional chats, or integrate them into the same list of conversations as always to have everything unified.
This choice is not a minor detail. Those who prefer to keep their more controlled experience You can isolate messages coming from other apps, while those looking for convenience can mix everything up and treat third-party chats as if they were normal WhatsApp conversations.
Regarding interaction, WhatsApp will allow users to send messages to contacts using BirdyChat or Haiket as if it were any other chat, although in practice the message will travel through protocols that allow different systems to connect. interface For the user, it will remain practically the same, which reduces the effort required to adapt.
However, there will be certain visual indicators to help identify if a chat is linked to another platform, which will be useful for the user to understand. What service is on the other side and what privacy or usage conditions may apply there.
Security and privacy: the role of end-to-end encryption
One of the biggest concerns surrounding this opening has to do with data protection. WhatsApp has insisted that interoperability will not mean giving up on privacy. end-to-end encryption (E2EE)which will remain mandatory for all messages traveling between your app and connected services.
This means that, in order to be part of this ecosystem, third-party apps must implement a compatible and robust encryption system, so that neither Meta nor external developers can read the content of the conversations while they are being transmitted. Essentially, the message should remain protected from the moment it leaves the sending device until it reaches the receiver.
However, Meta has also made it clear that each platform has its own data handling practices and privacy policies. Even if the message transmission is encrypted, external services could intercept it. manage user information differently as WhatsApp does, for example, regarding metadata, retention times, backups, and statistical analysis. In fact, there are guides on how Save conversations to Drive that illustrate different copy management policies.
This situation presents the user with a new type of decision: in addition to choosing who they talk to, they will have to evaluate what level of confidence It deserves the application that is at the other end of the conversation, something especially delicate in the European context, where data protection is a closely monitored issue.
For startups interested in joining, this presents a double challenge. On the one hand, they must comply with the technical security requirements that WhatsApp sets; on the other hand, they need to demonstrate to users that their data management model is transparent and compatible with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the rest of the European regulatory framework.
Impact on startups and new business opportunities
From the perspective of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, interoperability opens a window that was previously completely closed. Messaging has traditionally been a space dominated by large platforms with very powerful network effects, which made almost impossible for a new app compete head-to-head.
With the DMA forcing open access, a European startup can consider launching a messaging app that doesn't have to convince all users to abandon WhatsApp, but instead relies on interoperability to offer differentiated features (more privacy, specific tools for communities, SaaS integration, etc.) and still be able to communicate with the millions of people who already use the Meta app.
This changes the competitive approach: instead of fighting to create a closed ecosystem, new apps can specialize in specific niches or advanced features and rely on the bridge with WhatsApp. reduce adoption frictionIn theory, it would be enough for one of the interlocutors to use that specialized app for the conversation with the other, who is still on WhatsApp, to be possible.
For Hispanic and European founders, this scenario shows how regulation can redefine the landscape. The DMA not only imposes obligations on large platforms, it also opens up new possibilities. innovation spaces where there was hardly any room before. However, it does require thinking from the outset about regulatory compliance, technical interoperability, and collaboration between services.
The strategy for these new companies is no longer solely about developing a good interface or an aggressive marketing campaign, but about designing products capable of coexisting within a regulated environment, with common technical standards and high expectations regarding security and privacy.
Europe as a regulatory laboratory and international benchmark
The movement WhatsApp is experiencing in Europe could foreshadow what will happen in other markets in the coming years. The EU is once again acting as regulatory laboratory, forcing changes that, if successful or perceived positively by users, may eventually spread to other countries.
For many technology companies, the WhatsApp interoperability case serves as a practical example of how to prepare for an environment where authorities demand more openness and compatibility between servicesIt's not just about complying with the regulations, but about adapting the business model to a context where keeping users engaged is no longer so easy.
In the Hispanic world, both in Spain and in other countries that closely follow European regulations, this experience provides a guide as to where things might go. future demands in terms of messaging, social networks, or even professional collaboration platforms.
Furthermore, the WhatsApp case demonstrates that major regulatory decisions don't stay confined to the offices of Brussels, but ultimately have an impact on... the daily experience of millions of peoplefrom how they organize their chats to which apps they choose to install or uninstall.
For software and digital services companies that operate or want to operate in Europe, a thorough understanding of this process becomes almost mandatory: their ability to succeed depends on it. seize the opportunities which creates a more open market or, on the contrary, leaves them behind competitors who do adapt in time.
With WhatsApp interoperability launching in Europe, the messaging landscape is entering a transitional phase that combines legal obligation, technological innovation, and reasonable concerns about security and privacy. In this balance, users gain options, regulators test their ability to open markets, and startups find a crack through which to slip into a sector that until now seemed impenetrable.