WhatsApp Third-Party Chat Support Goes Live On Android Beta: Here’s How It Will Work

Recently we talked about WhatsApp planning to support third-party chat apps and called it a coincidence with Zoho’s Sridhar Vembu highlighting such plans. Now, the messaging app has made the new support live for Android beta users who reside in the European Union (EU) regions. 

Meta is forced to comply with the strict laws in the EU region, and this change in WhatsApp seems reserved for these countries, at least for the time being. WhatsApp beta version 2.25.33.8 update is bringing the new feature and the platform has given us more details via reliable tipster WaBetaInfo in a post. 

WhatsApp Third-Party Chats: How It Works Out And What Are The Terms? 

WhatsApp says it is supporting this feature to comply with EU laws. The third-party chats option

will be disabled by default and you can turn it on by doing these steps:

• Go Settings
• Click on Account
• Go to Third-party chats and enable the feature

WhatsApp has given some of the crucial details and terms of how the third-party chat system will work through its platform. 

• You can now chat with people on any eligible third-party messaging app directly in WhatsApp
• Third-party apps may have different security and data practices than WhatsApp
• People on eligible third-party apps can use your phone number to contact you
• While your phone number is shared so people can contact you, other personal info is not shared
• People you’ve blocked on WhatsApp may be able to contact you in third-party chats
• WhatsApp can’t see your messages in third-party chats

The big highlight about the third-party chat support is that features like stickers, status updates, and disappearing messages will not be available in cross-platform chats. The other important point is that if you have blocked anyone on WhatsApp, they can message you through the third-party apps. And the company also says it cannot see any of your messages but can’t guarantee if the third-party app will follow the same method. 

WhatsApp is only supporting BirdyChat app for this feature, but we do hope to see it work for Signal, Telegram and more in the near future. 

Zoho’s Arattai app is expected to get end-to-end encryption this month, but even then the company has a big task to dethrone or even threaten WhatsApp in the country.