Meta plans to launch WhatsApp third-party app integration in Europe “over the coming months”, which is required by the DMA, starting with BirdyChat and Haiket
here's how Meta plans to pull it off X: Jose Montes de Oca / @josemontesdeoca : @WhatsApp is about to feel a lot less like a walled garden for EU users. @Meta is rolling out third party chat integration so you can message people on other apps from inside WhatsApp, with end to end encryption still in place and some new controls in settings. The first Luther Lowe / @lutherlowe : The DMA is working @firstsquawk : META ANNOUNCED THAT BIRDYCHAT AND HAIKET WILL BE THE FIRST EXTERNAL SERVICES TO ENABLE MESSAGING INTEROPERABILITY WITH WHATSAPP, ACCORDING TO THEIR WEBSITE. Mastodon: Marcel Kolaja / @marcel_kolaja@mastodon.pirati.cz : In 2021, I've tabled amendments to the @EUCommission's proposal of the Digital Markets Act, one of which introduced mandatory messaging interoperability for the gatekeepers. Now, more than 4 years later, real effects on the market are starting to appear. https://about.fb.com/... Forums: r/europe : WhatsApp is launching third-party chat integration in Europe r/technology : WhatsApp is launching third-party chat integration in Europe
Context & Ripple Effects
This rollout moves Meta's DMA interoperability plan from design to an initial live integration. Earlier coverage said third-party chats would be opt-in and placed in a separate inbox, while Meta later specified a Signal-protocol requirement for third-party providers.
The first services, BirdyChat and Haiket, make the EU mandate tangible for WhatsApp users without changing the underlying regulatory scope: the rollout remains limited to Europe and is framed around encrypted messaging controls.
First-order effects
- European WhatsApp users will be able to opt into messaging with BirdyChat and Haiket from WhatsApp, with settings controls and end-to-end encryption retained.
- BirdyChat and Haiket gain access to WhatsApp’s interoperability path, while Meta must operate the integration as part of its DMA obligations.
Second-order effects
- Other messaging providers seeking access now have a concrete implementation model—encryption compatibility, user consent, and WhatsApp-side controls—rather than only Meta’s prior commitments.
- Meta’s product and support teams must manage cross-service messaging expectations, including the distinction between integrated conversations and WhatsApp-native chats.
Third-order effects
- If more services join, messaging competition in Europe can shift partly from attracting users onto a single network to offering services that can reach users across networks.
- The rollout tests whether regulated interoperability can preserve encrypted messaging while giving users practical choice; its uptake and reliability will determine whether the model becomes consequential beyond an initial pair of services.
The trend: The DMA is pushing dominant communication platforms in Europe from closed-network growth toward regulated, consent-based interoperability.