WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.5.20: what's new?
WhatsApp is rolling out a new update through the Google Play Beta Program, bringing the version up to 2.24.5.20.
What's new in this update? WhatsApp is working on a third-party chat info feature, and it will be available in a future update!
| Common questions | Answers |
|---|---|
| Name of the feature? | Third-party chats |
| Status? | Under development |
| Availability? | WhatsApp is working on bringing third-party chat support to a future update of the app. |
| I've installed this update but I don't have this feature. Why? | This feature is under development so it's not ready for beta testers, but it is possible to discover a preview in this article. |
| Previous news? | WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.5.18: what’s new? WhatsApp is rolling out new icons for the overflow menu to enhance the user interface! |
THIRD-PARTY CHATS
In the article about the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.5.18 update, we announced that WhatsApp was working on a chat interoperability feature to comply with new EU regulations. The Digital Markets Act (DMA) aims to facilitate user communication across different apps by requiring large tech companies to support chat interoperability in the European Region. Although the chat interoperability feature is still under development, our examination of the latest WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.24.5.20 update from the Google Play Store revealed that WhatsApp is working on a third-party chat info feature:
As you can see in the attached screenshot, WhatsApp is in the process of developing a chat info screen dedicated to third-party chats for a future update. Since profile names and photos are unavailable in third-party chats, WhatsApp will instead display the default profile photo and the third-party app name from which the chat originated. In our example, we demonstrated a third-party chat with an Instagram account. However, it's important to clarify that Instagram is not a supported third-party app. Instead, it served as an example to illustrate how the third-party chat info screen appears. It's worth noting that users will also be in control over which apps can communicate with their WhatsApp account, ensuring their preferences are always respected.
Third-party chats within WhatsApp will come with certain limitations in terms of features. Specifically, group chats involving third-party apps are not supported at the moment, meaning users cannot engage in group conversations that involve these external platforms. In addition, making calls with third-party apps isn't supported either. Initially, communication with third-party chats may be restricted to text messages, but it's worth mentioning that as WhatsApp continues to develop its integration with third-party apps, more features may be supported in the future. In addition, it is very important to note that this feature is optional as users will need to manually activate the interoperability service if they wish to use it.
The third-party chat info feature is under development and it will be available in a future update of the app. We plans to share an additional article once we have further details regarding this feature.
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