WhatsApp tests feature allowing cross-messaging for users via Vembu's messaging app 'Arattai'

India’s homegrown messaging app, Arattai, is carving out space as a local alternative to WhatsApp. With a surge in downloads just a month ago, Arattai’s founder, Sridhar Vembu, has been vocal about the need for cross-compatibility among messaging platforms. Now, WhatsApp seems to be catching up, testing a feature that could allow users to send messages to Arattai users—without ever leaving WhatsApp.

Arattai, the messaging app developed by Chennai-based Zoho, has gained significant traction as an alternative to WhatsApp, with record downloads in recent weeks. Sridhar Vembu, Zoho’s founder, has long advocated for messaging apps to support cross-platform communication, a notion he likened to the interoperability seen in UPI across various apps.

Now, WhatsApp, Arattai’s biggest competitor, appears to be moving toward making that idea a reality. According to reports from WaBetaInfo, WhatsApp is testing a feature that allows users to send messages to people on other messaging platforms, including Arattai. Although this feature is currently limited to beta testers in Europe, it could soon enable WhatsApp users to hold conversations with Arattai users without needing to switch apps.

In September, Sridhar Vembu called for the standardisation of messaging protocols, drawing parallels to UPI’s seamless integration across different platforms. “These systems need to be interoperable like UPI and email, and not closed like WhatsApp today. We do not want to be a monopoly ever,” Vembu stated.

So why is WhatsApp testing this feature now? The timing may be tied to regulatory pressure from the European Union. The EU’s Digital Markets Act requires large tech platforms like WhatsApp to open communication channels with other services to avoid monopolistic practices. Currently, the feature supports just one third-party app—BirdyChat—and requires app developers to meet WhatsApp’s encryption standards, ensuring privacy. Arattai, on the other hand, is yet to implement end-to-end encryption but has announced plans to add this feature soon.

While WhatsApp’s cross-platform communication feature may remain limited to Europe for now, there is no word on when—or if—it will be extended to other regions, including India. For now, it seems that Arattai has an opportunity to continue building its user base while WhatsApp adapts to changing regulations.