ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): WhatsApp officially launched its new desktop app in Pakistan, but the latest update isn’t exactly what users would anticipate.
Instead of continuing with the native Windows version, Meta has replaced it with a web-based version by using Microsoft’s WebView2 technology, a move already rolled out in international markets.
Having used it for a while, however, we at ProPakistani can tell that it’s already a little bit smoother with more convenient features than the previous WhatsApp desktop.
It’s also a lot more aesthetically pleasing than the previous WhatsApp Desktop app, which was rather bland.
If you don’t have the new app yet, hang in there-it hasn’t reached everyone just yet, but it should happen soon.
From Native to Web Wrapper
The older desktop app in Windows was developed as a native UWP app, with promises of providing a “faster and more responsive” experience. But let’s face it: it was not a good app and would often lag and crash.
WhatsApp’s now back to a web-wrapper model, essentially meaning the new app is just a packaged version of the browser-based WhatsApp Web rather than a full desktop application. Perhaps that’s for the best? Only time will tell.
Higher RAM Usage Concerns
This may bode ill for performance, particularly on older or lower-end PCs. As cited by Windows Latest, the new version, 2.2584.3.0, uses as much as 2GB of RAM during heavy use—compared to about 120 MB that the older native app uses under similar activity.
For many users in Pakistan, where WhatsApp is the main messaging platform, this could result in sluggish performance.
But even on older laptops here in Pakistan, the native desktop app runs terribly.
Simpler Interface, Fewer Features
Along with the backend change, the new app also means a more basic interface. Notifications might be different, and settings are more stripped down compared to the native version.
Added among the new features are support for WhatsApp Channels and better integration with Status and Communities, but overall, the design is no longer based on the Windows 11 aesthetic.
Why the Change?
Apparently, Meta is moving towards this web-based model for simplifying the development. By adopting WebView2, the company can have a single core version of WhatsApp across different platforms rather than build and update several native apps for Windows and macOS, and more systems.
So, even though some of the features are missing, that shouldn’t be long before they arrive in the new WhatsApp Desktop.
