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A WhatsApp for Android beta update (version 2.23.19.8) that came out today contains a new screen called Third-party chats, reports WABetaInfo<\/em><\/a>. <\/em>For now, the screen is neither functional nor accessible by users, according to WABetaInfo. <\/em>But its title is a strong clue that this is likely the first step to opening Meta\u2019s encrypted messages app to cross-platform compatibility. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n The beta comes just days after the European Commission confirmed<\/a> that WhatsApp owner Meta meets the definition of a \u201cgatekeeper\u201d under the EU\u2019s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which requires communication software like WhatsApp to interoperate with third-party messaging apps by March 2024. WABetaInfo<\/em> tweeted a screenshot<\/a> of the screen:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The DMA\u2019s goal, per the European Commission\u2019s FAQ about the law<\/a>, is to keep gatekeepers \u201cfrom imposing unfair conditions\u201d and to \u201censure the openness of important digital services.\u201d Beyond dictating that messaging apps must interoperate, the DMA requires that gatekeepers, among other things, let users remove pre-installed apps or shop alternative app stores.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Both Meta and Microsoft are planning their own mobile app stores<\/a> in response to the DMA. The European Commission is investigating<\/a> whether Apple\u2019s iMessage and Microsoft\u2019s Bing search engine, Edge browser, and advertising service meet the bar for the new regulation. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n