New EU rules mean WhatsApp and Messenger must be interoperable with other chat apps. Here’s how that will work.

WhatsApp will soon make it possible to chat with people who use other messaging apps. It’s revealed some more details on how that will work.

— Apps will need to sign an agreement with Meta, then connect to its servers.

— Meta wants people to use the Signal Protocol, but also says other encryption protocols can be used if they can meet WhatsApp’s standards

— WhatsApp has been testing with Matrix in recent months, although nothing is agreed yet. Swiss app Threema says it won’t become interoperable

  • smileyhead@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
    2·
    9 months ago

    It’s like with SMS, needs communication of the OS to the modem to the carrier’s server. And just like with anything carrier related the progress is very slow, no mobile phone even supports it (for now only Android with Google’s own app that connects to proxy to bypass the modem) and… is my opinion unnessesary.

    • 2xsaiko@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
      1·
      9 months ago

      Carriers already support it, and I think the reason Google sends it through their backend instead of the carrier’s is so they can support their proprietary extensions (that’s my guess at least, and I think I read that the app can also use carrier services directly but I can’t find the text that said that anymore). And as far as I’m concerned that means there are indeed many phones that support it.