WhatsApp Tests EU-Only Cross-App Messaging With BirdyChat

Overview

• WhatsApp is piloting cross-service messaging in a Europe-only beta, according to WaBetaInfo.
• The beta currently supports only one outside app, BirdyChat, with other services required to request inclusion.
• Third-party apps must meet WhatsApp’s encryption standards for interoperability, and Arattai does not yet offer end-to-end encryption though it has said it will add it.
• Reports link the experiment to compliance with the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which mandates open communication channels for large platforms.
• Meta has not announced any timeline to expand the feature beyond Europe, including to India.