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In a surprising move, Meta appears to be planning a significant shift for its WhatsApp desktop application on Windows.
Just months after introducing a dedicated native app for iPad, The Verge reported that the company is moving away from its native WhatsApp Windows app in favour of a simpler, web wrapper version.
The latest beta version of WhatsApp on Windows already includes these major changes, with Meta noting it has "updated how WhatsApp beta looks and works."
How WhatsApp Works on Windows
For regular WhatsApp users on Windows, the app is moving from being a dedicated Windows and WinUI app (specifically for the Windows operating system) to being the standard WhatsApp web version simply wrapped inside a web view. This means Meta is using Microsoft’s Edge WebView2 technology to package its web-based WhatsApp into a desktop application.
From a user's perspective, the way notifications work has changed, and the settings interface is now far more basic.
On the flip side, this beta app also includes features like WhatsApp Channels and promises "more functionality" for Status and Communities, features that are easier to roll out across a single codebase.
Why the Change? (And Why It Might Disappoint)
The primary reason behind this shift, as pointed out by Windows Latest, is likely maintenance efficiency. By moving to a web wrapper, Meta can maintain a single codebase for its web version of WhatsApp, rather than having to develop and maintain a separate, native application specifically for Windows.
However, for daily users of WhatsApp on Windows, this is potentially a disappointing change. The native app, which launched only two years ago, allowed users to run WhatsApp on their desktop without constantly syncing to their phone. Ironically, WhatsApp itself has previously highlighted that native versions of its Windows and Mac apps "provide increased performance and reliability, more ways to collaborate, and features to improve your productivity."
With the switch, the web app likely won't look as integrated with Windows 11 and could potentially be a slower experience due to a higher RAM usage than its native counterpart.
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