WhatsApp Desktop Beta for Windows Moved to WebView2#
August 15, 2025
The latest WhatsApp Beta update for Windows 11 has brought a noticeable change - the native desktop application has been replaced by a wrapper based on Microsoft WebView2. This means that the familiar WhatsApp on your computer now works, essentially, like a web application, but in a desktop window.
1. What is it#
Microsoft WebView2 is a technology based on the open-source Chromium project (the same one that powers Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge). It allows developers to embed web content (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) into native apps. In other words, WebView2 is like a “mini-browser” inside your app.
2. What are the differences#
While the visual UI of the new WhatsApp Desktop Beta is almost identical to the old one, there are a few key differences that impact performance:
- Slower performance. Compared to the fast and lightweight native UWP (Universal Windows Platform) app, the new version feels less responsive.
- Increased resource consumption. Windows Latest testing showed that the WebView2 version consumes 30% more RAM than the native app.
- Lots of background processes. The native version relied on only one process, while the new web version runs multiple processes in the background, increasing the load on the system.
- Less reliable. The native app had better reliability, a smoother UI, better notifications, and better support for calls and screen sharing.
Despite the obvious performance and resource consumption downsides of moving to WebView2 in WhatsApp Desktop Beta for Windows, there are some positives: unifying the codebase makes it easier for Meta to develop and maintain the app across platforms, potentially allowing for faster rollout of new features and fixes, and could lead to a more consistent user experience across devices, which could offset the current performance issues in the long run.
3. Why the transition happened#
WhatsApp has not officially commented on the reasons for switching to WebView2. However, it is most likely related to the simplification of the development and support process. Using WebView2 allows WhatsApp to maintain a single code base for all versions of the application (web, desktop, and possibly mobile in the future).
4. Pros and cons#
To summarize, we can highlight:
Pros: - Simplified development and support. - Single code base for all platforms.
Cons: - Reduced performance. - Increased resource consumption (RAM, processor). - Less reliability and stability. - Possible problems with notifications and other native functions.
5. Conclusion#
The move of WhatsApp Desktop Beta for Windows to WebView2 is a controversial decision. On the one hand, it simplifies the development and maintenance of the WhatsApp app. On the other hand, users may experience reduced performance, increased resource consumption, and reduced reliability.
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