WhatsApp’s cross-app messaging feature: 5 things you must know before launches
WhatsApp is testing a new cross-platform messaging feature that will let users chat with people on other apps like Telegram and Signal. The feature aims to make communication more open while keeping messages end-to-end encrypted.
New Delhi: WhatsApp is going a long way when it comes to open communication, as it is currently testing out a new feature that enables users to chat with individuals using other messaging apps, including Telegram or Signal. The option that is still in beta testing will be able to make the messaging more adaptable, without affecting the high level of encryption that the company is known to have. It will be the start of WhatsApp interoperability, which is partially pushed by new EU digital policies that promote platform openness.
This may simplify the process of messaging between various apps, but it also puts up new privacy and safety concerns. WhatsApp claims that the option is still in the test stage and only a few users in Europe have access to it. When it is finally introduced to the masses, it shall allow its users to send and receive text messages, photographs, videos, and documents without having to change platforms.
Chat beyond WhatsApp
The cross-platform messaging specification implies that users will shortly be able to send their messages to their contacts that are not WhatsApp users at all. Therefore, when you have a friend who uses Telegram or Signal, you can communicate with them without compelling them to install WhatsApp. The company is already experimenting with the way the system manages various kinds of messages being reliable and secure.
Some features won’t be available
All the features of WhatsApp will not be transferred to cross-app chats. Status updates, disappearing messages, and stickers will not be available to the users at the moment. Another weakness is blocking – a contact who has been blocked on WhatsApp may still contact you via another app, depending on the policies of the alternative contact app. WhatsApp will perfect such controls before it is widely released.
Control view of cross-app messages
The appearance of these chats will be at the control of the users. WhatsApp will enable individuals to have the messages in other applications in a separate inbox or combine them with the ordinary conversations. It will also allow you to select whether to get notifications on third-party chats to have flexibility in the level of integration people want this experience to be.
Encryption remains, but privacy could differ
WhatsApp has made it clear that its messages will remain encrypted end-to-end even during cross-platform chat. It, however, concedes that the level of privacy might vary depending on the policies of the third-party app. Users that would like privacy can turn off cross-platform messaging.
Global rollout still a while away
At this point, the cross-platform chat system is restricted to a small group of users in the EU. WhatsApp has expanded it in Europe and will expand it in Europe next year, although it may take longer to be available globally. The compatibility of apps in voice and video calls is still many years off, probably not before 2027.