- WhatsApp to Windows abandons the native app and adopts a web version with WebView2.
- The change means increased resource consumption, loss of integration and advanced features.
- Meta seeks to unify development across all platforms, sacrificing efficiency on Windows.
- The new app is already being rolled out in beta and will soon replace the current one.
WhatsApp for Windows is about to undergo a major change. This will affect millions of users of the Microsoft operating system. The app, which until now was native and allowed users to take full advantage of Windows features, will now be a web-based version encapsulated thanks to Microsoft's WebView2 technology. This decision by Meta, the company that owns WhatsApp, has generated debate and some concern among regular users of the desktop app.
During the last years, WhatsApp for Windows has had several transformations: from a client based on web technologies, to a native (UWP) application, and now back to a hybrid approach that once again relies on a browser engine to function. This shift has significant implications for both performance and the daily user experience.
What exactly is changing in WhatsApp for Windows?
With the arrival of the new version based on webview2, WhatsApp is no longer an app developed exclusively for Windows.Instead, what we'll see is the WhatsApp web app itself running inside a special window, looking very similar to opening the web version in a browser tab, but as a standalone app.
This change may affect the user experience and available features., such as integration with Windows Hello, notification management, and faster file sharing. In addition, the interface of the new version is more basic and loses some of the visual identity that full integration with Windows 11.
When powered by WebView2, the WhatsApp client opens several processes in the background, just like when browsing multiple tabs in Edge. This impacts the overall fluidity of the system and limits the experience for those who used the app as part of their daily workflow.
Advantages and consequences of change
From a strategic perspective, Meta justifies the change for reasons of efficiency and maintenance. Use the same code base for Windows, macOS, Linux and the web means saving development resources and accelerating the release of new features for all users.
This Unification makes it easier for WhatsApp's latest features to work —such as Channels, Communities, and the new design—will immediately be available to Windows users as well. However, this step forward in feature parity comes at a price: the user experience suffers and the advantages of native development are lost, such as greater speed, reduced consumption and better integration into the operating system.
The company acknowledges that its native version offered Most reliability and speedIronically, WhatsApp's official documentation extolled these virtues until recently, but the commitment to the web-as-an-app seems irreversible.
Not everything is negative: The new version brings with it new features that were only available on WhatsApp Web, such as the new visual appearance and faster access to Channels and Communities. For those who value always having the latest features, this change could be an improvement in terms of updates and tool availability.
Why is Meta abandoning the native app?
The main reason behind this decision is cost simplification and standardization of developmentMaintaining native versions for each operating system requires considerable effort in both human resources and updates. With a single codebase, it's faster and easier to implement new features and ensure compatibility across devices.
However, this strategy has a direct cost to the Windows user, which loses efficiency and advanced features tailored to the system. Those who used the app, taking advantage of its full integration with Windows, will notice that the customization options and connection to the operating system will now be more limited.
Meta has already confirmed that this transition is underway and the new version is available in beta. All users are expected to receive the update automatically from the Microsoft Store soon, with the current native app disappearing shortly thereafter.
How the transition affects users
For most users, the change will mean an experience very similar to WhatsApp Web, but packaged as an app. This results in slower system interaction, more basic file and notification management, and generally less fluidity on resource-constrained devices.
Some advanced features disappearing These include Windows Hello authentication, more detailed settings, and fully integrated notifications. In contrast, the new features brought by the update include access to the latest WhatsApp Web options and improvements to cross-platform synchronization.
Meta recommends that Those seeking maximum performance should stay on the stable version. as long as possible. However, the transition seems inevitable, and all Windows users will gradually have to adapt to the new format.
What are the differences between Electron and WebView2?
It is important to note that the old versions of WhatsApp for Windows and the new one share a philosophy, but They are not identical on a technical levelElectron was the system originally used to encapsulate web applications as standalone executables, with the drawback of including its own browser and consuming a large amount of RAM.
For its part, WebView2 uses the Edge browser that is already built into Windows, so there's no need to duplicate resources, although it's still heavier and less efficient than a custom-developed application. In practice, users will notice that both technologies ultimately produce similar experiences in terms of power consumption and performance, especially on less powerful devices.
The main difference is that WebView2 slightly reduces the installation size and makes better use of system resources compared to Electron, but it still It is far from matching the efficiency of a native app.
The transition from WhatsApp for Windows to a web-based version represents A clear commitment by Meta to uniformity across platformsHowever, this strategy means sacrificing optimization and many of the benefits Windows users enjoyed. The WhatsApp experience on Windows will be impacted, as full integration with the operating system will be more limited and will rely on web-based solutions instead.
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