TechSoftwareAppsWhatsApp update will soon add messages from other apps, but there’s a catchThird-party chats are comingWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

TechSoftwareAppsWhatsApp update will soon add messages from other apps, but there’s a catchThird-party chats are comingWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

Third-party chats are coming

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Rik Henderson / Future)

WhatsApp on iPhone

(Image credit: Rik Henderson / Future)

Quick SummaryMeta has published a post showing how it’s going to integrate third-party chats into WhatsApp and Messenger.This will let you collate chats, but it’s only coming to European Union countries.

Meta has published a post showing how it’s going to integrate third-party chats into WhatsApp and Messenger.This will let you collate chats, but it’s only coming to European Union countries.

Meta has published a post showing how it’s going to integrate third-party chats into WhatsApp and Messenger.This will let you collate chats, but it’s only coming to European Union countries.

Meta has published a post showing how it’s going to integrate third-party chats into WhatsApp and Messenger.

This will let you collate chats, but it’s only coming to European Union countries.

The fallout and long-term impact of the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) continues to unfold over time, despite the focus on some of the more attention-grabbing outcomes (likeApplebeing forced toallow new app stores on its iPhones).

One such change that’s coming is big messaging platforms like WhatsApp being forced to allow third-party chat platforms to integrate with them – so users can chat with other people on different platforms without having to constantly swap between apps and services.

(Image credit: Meta)

Third-party chats on WhatsApp

(Image credit: Meta)

Meta said six months ago that it would be integrating third-party chats into both WhatsApp and Messenger as a result of the DMA, but it’s taken six months for the latest meaningful update to come.

Since not everyone will want to have all their chats merge automatically, Meta also says that in both WhatsApp and Messenger it’s building the option for people to choose between merged inboxes or separate ones, depending on their preferences.

However, while all of this sounds exactly as user-friendly and progressive as the EU was hoping, it comes with a fairly obvious asterisk for anyonenotin an EU country – you won’t get the features.

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As it stands, all of this is coming to the EU only, with no indication from Meta that it intends to roll the settings out more widely unless forced to do so in a jurisdiction.

So, if you do live in an EU country, you might see these features rolling out in the next year or so – otherwise, you could well be out of luck.

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