WhatsApp is rolling out a major update to its Windows desktop app, but not everyone will be happy about it.
Back in August 2022, WhatsApp rebuilt its Windows app from scratch, aiming to improve performance and reliability by using native Windows tools. At the time, Meta said the app was “designed and optimised for your computer’s operating system.”
How the New Version Of WhatsApp Affects Performance and Notifications
Now, just a few years later, WhatsApp appears to be shifting away from that native build. In the latest beta version for Windows, developers have replaced the native app with a version that wraps around WhatsApp Web.
This change impacts both the look and functionality of the app. For example, notifications will now behave more like those in a browser, rather than using Windows’ native system. On the plus side, the update introduces support for WhatsApp Channels and adds new features to Status and Communities.
Moving away from a native setup could result in slower performance or increased battery usage. The move may be part of Meta’s effort to simplify development across platforms, especially with the recent release of a dedicated iPad app. With over 2 billion users worldwide, maintaining multiple apps can be a challenge.
What About Privacy? Meta Responds
Windows Latest, which first noticed the change, said, “This means WhatsApp is back to how it was a few years ago. It does have a couple of new features because web.whatsapp.com was always ahead of Windows app development, but it’s slower and uses more RAM.”
They added, “It’s one thing if an indie developer opts for web apps because they cannot afford to maintain the codebase across all platforms, but it’s actually sad when a trillion-dollar company like Meta is not willing to ship and maintain a native app for Windows 11, which has 1.4 billion monthly active PCs.”
This isn’t the only big shift from Meta. The company has also started showing ads on WhatsApp for the first time. You may now see ads while viewing friends’ Status updates, and businesses can pay to promote Channels.
Meta assures users that private messages, calls, and group chats won’t influence ad targeting. “Your phone number won’t be sold or shared with advertisers,” the company says, and all private conversations remain end-to-end encrypted.
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