Tech Desk 
Jul 21, 2025
WhatsApp is making a big change by switching from its native Windows app to a web wrapper version. This modification, which was made public in the most recent WhatsApp beta for Windows, represents a significant change in how users will engage.
WhatsApp's parent company, Meta claims that the move to a web-based version was made to make development and maintenance easier.
Moreover, WhatsApp will be able to package its web version into a desktop application by utilising Microsoft's Edge WebView2 technology, which will enable the maintenance of a single code base.
However, there is a price for this change, though. Notifications and appearance will differ between the web-based and native versions.
The app will use more RAM than its native counterpart, and the settings user interface will be simpler.
A bit ironically, WhatsApp claims that native versions of its apps for Mac and Windows "provide increased performance and reliability, more ways to collaborate, and features to improve your productivity."
Nevertheless, the business seems to be putting ease of development ahead of native performance. The new version will include WhatsApp Channels and "more functionality" for Status and Communities features.
While the change may be welcomed by some, daily users of WhatsApp on Windows may be disappointed to see the app's native look and feel replaced by a web-based interface.
As WhatsApp continues to evolve, it remains to be seen how users will adapt to the changes brought about by the shift to a web-based version.
