A WhatsApp for Android beta update (version 2.23.19.8) released today includes a new screen called Third-party chats, WABetaInfo reports. The edge: For now, according to WABetaInfo, the screen is neither functional nor accessible to users. But the title is a strong indication that this is likely the first step in opening up Meta’s encrypted messaging app to cross-platform compatibility. The beta comes just days after the European Commission confirmed that WhatsApp owner Meta meets the definition of a ‘gatekeeper’ under the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which requires communications software like WhatsApp to work with messaging apps by March 2024 from third parties.
