Meta has made a major client-side change to its WhatsApp app for Windows 11. According to a new report shared by Windows Latest, WhatsApp’s Windows app has been replaced by a WebView-based framework that loads the web version within Microsoft’s Chromium framework. This transition, which is now rolling out, is paving the way for a noticeable downgrade in the user experience.
Reversion to Web Version: Increased Resource Consumption
The latest update introduces a version of WhatsApp that essentially opens web.whatsapp.com via WebView2. This marks a return to a browser-like approach after years of work on the app’s native WinUI/UWP client.
Initial tests reveal that the new version consumes significantly more system memory than the previous native app:
- Login Screen: Memory usage reaches approximately 300 MB, and background processes connected to the Chromium framework are constantly running.
- After Signing In: RAM usage can exceed 1 GB and can increase even more when multiple active chats are managed. This change is particularly problematic for users with low-end computers, considering that the previous native app could shrink to less than 10 MB when idle.
The report also notes a noticeable decrease in the app’s performance. Navigating between chats feels slower, and animations and transitions are less responsive. The new app also suffers from issues with Windows 11-specific features like notification management and Do Not Disturb mode. These issues, combined with the heavier system resource demands, make the updated client feel less integrated with the operating system.
According to the report, this change is likely related to an internal restructuring at Meta. The company may be aiming to reduce development costs by downsizing the native app team and maintaining a single web-based codebase. However, this significantly impacts the quality of the user experience.
The new build is being released as version 2.2584.3.0 through the Microsoft Store. Users who still have the old native client can temporarily avoid the update, but it’s claimed that all users will eventually be logged out and forced to migrate to the new version.
