WhatsApp is about to get a makeover. It will be possible to also send or receive messages via Telegram, Signal, Google Messages and iMessage. But how exactly will that work?
The Digital Markets Act (DMA) is creating significant changes in technology that we will notice in the near future. For example, under pressure from the European Union, we’ve seen the appearance of the USB-C connector on the iPhone, multiple app stores are coming to that same device, and now WhatsApp is going through a shake-up. That will come in handy if you use Signal or Telegram.
Tech companies are not allowed by the European Union to become too powerful. For example, large services such as iMessage and WhatsApp should not have sole rights to message traffic. Other parties should also be given opportunities, according to the institute.
WhatsApp is going to change
Yet that is not as easy said as done. Connecting all messaging services such as iMessage, Signal, Telegram and WhatsApp together requires a lot of work and also raises issues. How do you technically get it all done?
One of the main concerns is message encryption. Now when you send a WhatsApp message from one account to another, you see that that information is encrypted. So no one can read along. For this to work well with other apps, the other services must meet the security standards and guidelines set by Meta.
The new feature. (Image: WABetaInfo)
“There is a tension between providing an easy way to apply this and at the same time having good privacy and security policies. However, we are quite satisfied with where we have ended up,” WhatsApp engineering director Dick Brouwer told Wired.
Still a while to go before you can send messages to Telegram and Signal
So everything seems to be going well between the different parties, but there is still some work to be done before you can send WhatsApp messages to iMessage, Telegram or Signal.
Also, it looks like WhatsApp will look a little different. There will be a special section for other messaging services. Exactly how WhatsApp plans to set that up, the company plans to reveal in the coming month.
The company informs that all changes will take several more months. So don’t expect changes anytime soon.
