We reported back in January that WhatsApp was working on a feature that would allow users to send and receive messages from other messaging apps. Now, 8 months later, Meta has finally provided some details on what this would look like.

Users in the European Union will soon have the option to “keep third-party chats separate from their current inbox” or “combine all chats into one box”. Users will be able to switch between the two options at any time.

The company is also introducing new WhatsApp and Messenger notifications, which will let users know when a new third-party messaging app is available that they can connect chats with.

But that's not all. Meta will also include more advanced features for interoperable messaging, including "rich messaging features like reactions, direct replies, typing indicators, and read receipts." So the experience of sending and receiving messages on WhatsApp won't be much different between native and third-party chats.