We are about to receive messages from other apps via WhatsApp

WhatsApp is being upgraded and will soon allow you to send and receive messages from other applications as well: WhatsApp users in beta 2 in Europe can already try the updated messaging software and messages sent from Instagram, Messenger, Signal and SMS. At this point it appears that the application will not allow messages from Telegram, possibly due to security requirements.

The move is part of the EU's Digital Markets Act which came into force this week on Wednesday. Companies like Meta are required by the new regulation to open up their products to competitors. Accordingly, this week Apple was fined the highest amount imposed on a technology company - 1.84 billion euros, as a punishment for preventing its customers from signing up for Spotify and other streaming services outside of its app store, while charging a 30% fee for each such request.

As mentioned at this stage the new feature will be available to EU users, but will probably spread to other users around the world. The move means you can view messages sent from other apps, even if they don't have them on your phone. The mutual messaging systems must maintain end-to-end encryption. In this aspect, the other messaging apps from Meta - Instagram and Facebook Messenger, will not be an obstacle and they have probably adapted themselves to WhatsApp's encryption. However, external applications such as Signal (which is admittedly less popular in Israel) and iMessage - the iPhone's SMS software, will also have to adapt the encryption codes to those of WhatsApp.

And despite the obstacles, it seems that the move is nearing completion: users of the TestFlight application, who are trying versions under development of various applications at their own risk, are already reporting that the new version of WhatsApp is already working, and they are able to send and receive messages from the other applications as well.

Meanwhile, last September it was reported that Meta is testing the WhatsApp version for iPads: from the first screenshots that were released to the network, the connection to the iPad version is similar to connecting to WhatsApp on the computer and it is done by scanning a QR code, after which the WhatsApp application connects directly to the personal account with its size adapted to the screen of the Apple tablet, without the need to connect another one. WhatsApp's iPad application is expected to include all the familiar features, including the option of phone or video calls.