You might soon message non-WhatsApp users — here’s how Meta plans to pull it off

What you need to know

• WhatsApp is testing “Third-party chats,” letting users in Europe message people on other apps without exiting.
• You can send and receive texts, photos, videos, voice notes, and documents from non-WhatsApp users.
• Only BirdyChat works with WhatsApp for now, and features like stickers, statuses, and disappearing messages aren’t supported.

WhatsApp is finally testing the ability for users to chat with others across various apps, marking one of its biggest overhauls in years.

The feature, spotted by the folks at WABetaInfo in the latest Android beta (version 2.25.33.8), introduces what’s being called “Third-party chats.” This option allows you to message people who aren’t even on WhatsApp without switching to another messaging app.

Beta testers in Europe were the first to see the new feature. It adds a new toggle under Settings > Account > Third-party chats. Once enabled, you’ll be able to send and receive texts, images, videos, voice notes, and documents from people who use some of the leading text messaging apps besides WhatsApp.

Custom chat view

The Meta-owned platform lets you choose how these messages appear. You can mix them into your regular chats or keep them in a separate section called “Third-party chats.”

This change comes after the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) required major platforms, or “gatekeepers,” such as Meta, to ensure their services work with competitors.

Meta has been rolling up its sleeves for months to make this work while trying to preserve WhatsApp’s privacy and encryption standards. That’s no small feat, considering other apps may use different protocols or security models.

Early limitations

Still, as promising as it sounds, there are a few caveats. For now, only one outside app — BirdyChat — is apparently eligible to work with WhatsApp in this early test phase. The rollout is also limited to users in the European region, at least for now, which makes sense since that’s where the DMA rules apply.

Some of WhatsApp’s hallmark features won’t be available on these external chats, either. This means that things like stickers, status updates, and disappearing messages aren’t available outside the native app.

There are also some privacy concerns. For example, if you block someone on WhatsApp, they might still reach you through another app unless that app blocks them too. The only personal data shared is your phone number.

For most users, this test could show what the future of messaging looks like, where you aren’t limited by brand loyalty. If Meta succeeds, WhatsApp could be the first major texting app to offer real cross-platform communication.