A new WhatsApp Android beta update (version 2.23.19.8) released today includes a new screen called Third-Party Chat. Reported by WABetaInfo, the title suggests that Meta could work on encrypted messages cross-platform.

The beta update was released 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) and is barred from providing third-party messaging apps until March 2024. Will need to interoperate with.

The law aims to “prevent gatekeepers from imposing unfair conditions” and “ensure the openness of critical digital services”. Apps must allow their users to remove pre-installed apps or purchase alternative app stores.

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Meta and Microsoft are planning to launch their own mobile app stores in response to the European Commission’s DMA.