Meta has begun phasing out its native WhatsApp app for Windows, replacing it with a web-based version wrapped in Microsoft’s Edge WebView2 technology.
This transition, now live in the latest WhatsApp beta for Windows, changes how Meta handles its desktop applications.
Rather than maintaining the previously optimised native app built with WinUI, Meta is now streamlining development by relying on a simple wrapper of its web platform.
Effectively, the desktop WhatsApp experience is being reduced to what is essentially a packaged version of web.whatsapp.com. Users won’t just notice visual changes; the app’s core structure has changed entirely.
Meta, in a statement within the beta update notes, said it has “updated how WhatsApp beta looks and works.” However, what’s left unsaid is equally important: this version discards much of the Windows 11 design integration.
Users will lose familiar features like jump lists, native notifications, and live previews, making the app feel more like a sluggish browser tab than a proper desktop tool.
From a technical standpoint, this new iteration consumes about 30% more RAM compared to its native predecessor. Startup times are slower, responsiveness has taken a hit, and operating system integration is now minimal. For daily users, this could feel like a downgrade disguised as an upgrade.
Ironically, Meta itself admits that native apps offer “increased performance and reliability, more ways to collaborate, and features to improve your productivity.” This makes the decision even more baffling for users who valued the lightweight, integrated Windows experience.
Meta’s motivation for this switch focuses on efficiency in development. By consolidating WhatsApp’s desktop platforms under a single codebase, Meta can speed up feature rollouts and reduce maintenance overhead. This also aligns WhatsApp for Windows more closely with its Mac and Web versions, ensuring a uniform experience across platforms.
Yet, uniformity comes at a price. Users who installed WhatsApp on Windows expecting a seamless, OS-friendly app are now left with a bloated wrapper that feels less like a desktop experience and more like a compromise.
The new beta isn’t entirely without additions. Meta has bundled in WhatsApp Channels, a tab dedicated to updates from creators, brands, and media outlets, alongside enhanced Communities functionality, giving quicker access to group chats and announcements. Status and Channels have also been merged into a single “Updates” tab for smoother navigation.
Despite these feature tweaks, early reactions have been far from positive. Power users and developers see this as a backward step. In discussions across forums and social platforms, some have labelled the shift as “a step backward” in terms of Windows optimisation.
The current update, version 2.2569.0.0, is rolling out gradually via the Microsoft Store, but not everyone is ready to accept what Meta is offering. The question now is whether Meta listens to these objections or doubles down on a cross-platform approach at the expense of user experience.
For now, if you’re a Windows user relying on WhatsApp daily, note that the app you once enjoyed as a responsive, native experience is no longer what you’ll find on your desktop.
