WhatsApp Windows app may soon appear more like web version: What changes

Reportedly, WhatsApp on Windows is moving away from the native app foundation in favour of a web-based version, likely to streamline development process

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Meta is reportedly planning a big change for WhatsApp on Windows by replacing its native app with a new version built on a web wrapper. As reported by The Verge, this change was spotted in the latest beta release and signals a move away from the native Windows app foundation toward a web-based experience powered by Microsoft’s Edge WebView2 technology.

WhatsApp on Windows: What is new

As per the report, Meta is leveraging Microsoft’s Edge WebView2 technology in the latest WhatsApp beta for Windows. The new version wraps WhatsApp Web into a desktop-like experience. This change could make development easier for Meta by allowing a single codebase across platforms, eliminating the need to support a separate native Windows application. 

 

According to the report, this new interface appears like a stripped-down version of the current app. In the new version, notifications work differently and the settings menu is more basic compared to the previous version.

 

The web-based version does include support for WhatsApp Channels and expanded features for Status and Communities. However, it reportedly uses more RAM and no longer feels like a part of the Windows environment. WhatsApp itself acknowledges on its website that native apps offer “increased performance and reliability, more ways to collaborate, and features to improve your productivity.”

 

The original native WhatsApp app for Windows launched just a few years ago and was praised for allowing independent operation without requiring a phone connection. This upcoming switch to a web wrapper may be disappointing for some users.