WhatsApp may soon become a lot more flexible. Following earlier tests of "guest chats" for people who don't have the app, the platform is now experimenting with something even bigger: the ability to message users on completely different messaging apps.
And it's not just an idea on paper. Some beta testers in Europe are already seeing the new feature appear in their settings, hinting that WhatsApp is gearing up for a major shift in how messaging works across platforms.
A Peek at the Feature in WhatsApp Beta
According to WABetaInfo, the cross-app messaging option is now live for certain users running WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.25.33.8. Those who have access can find it under:
Inside this section, testers can toggle several controls, such as whether they want to receive chat requests from outside WhatsApp and whether these cross-app conversations should be grouped together or kept separate from their regular WhatsApp messages.
It's an early test, but it signals WhatsApp's intention to open its walls—something the app has avoided for years.
What Works and What Doesn't (Yet)
Unlike the earlier guest chat experiment, this new third-party chat feature supports a wider range of messaging tools. For example, users can send:
• Videos
• Voice notes
• Documents
• Standard text messages
That's essentially the full messaging suite most users rely on daily.
However, some more "WhatsApp-native" features won't carry over, at least for now. These include:
• Status updates
• Certain app-specific enhancements
This makes sense—each messaging platform has its own style and feature set, and not all of these can be standardised easily across apps.
Privacy, Limitations and a Few Unexpected Caveats
Because this feature involves communication between completely different platforms, there are certain restrictions in place.
• Other personal details remain private.
• People you've blocked on WhatsApp can still contact you through another supported app.
• All messages are still end-to-end encrypted, regardless of the platform.
The privacy trade-offs might not matter to casual users, but people who rely on WhatsApp for professional networking may find the phone-number-only rule limiting.
So Which Apps Can You Message?
For now, only one app appears to be supported: BirdyChat, a smaller messaging platform.
This is likely just the beginning. As WhatsApp expands the system, more apps may be added to the interoperability list—especially as regulations continue to evolve worldwide.
Why This Is Happening: Europe's Digital Markets Act (DMA)
The report suggests this feature wasn't added purely out of innovation—it's also WhatsApp complying with Europe's Digital Markets Act (DMA). The law requires major tech platforms to allow interoperability with other messaging services to ensure fair competition.
Because this regulation applies mainly to European markets, the cross-app messaging feature may remain exclusive to Europe for now.
But if it proves successful—or if other regions introduce similar rules—Meta could eventually roll it out more broadly.
A Big Shift in Messaging?
If WhatsApp moves forward with open messaging, it could change how people use chat apps entirely. Instead of juggling multiple apps, users may eventually communicate freely regardless of the platform each person prefers.
It's still early days, but the beta tests show that WhatsApp is taking interoperability seriously—and it may not be long before cross-platform messaging becomes a standard feature rather than a novelty.
