WhatsApp for Windows changes from the native UWP version to a web-based application. Meta’s messenger service will in future rely on WebView2, which simplifies the development, but also means higher resource consumption.
In the latest beta version of WhatsApp for Windows, Meta has made a somewhat surprising change in technology. From version 2.2569.0.0, the messenger app is no longer a native UWP application (Universal Windows Platform), but uses WebView2 as a technical basis. The change means that whatsapp for Windows now (only) acts as a desktop container, the web code such as HTML, JavaScript and CSS performs. WebView2, developed by Microsoft, is based on the Chromium engine, which also drives Microsoft Edge. With this, whatsapp returns to its roots, because the service originally started as a web app, was then developed into electron and finally to UWP.
How Neowin and Windows Latest Reporting, the first analyzes show significant effects on system performance. The new webview-based version needs about 30 percent more RAM than its UWP predecessor. This increase is due to the chromium core, which divides tasks into several processes and invites additional background services.
Web apps are often critically viewed by Windows users, especially when they are introduced as a “upgrade” for native applications. The previous UWP version was considered a supply model for native Windows integration and offered all the advantages of a platform-specific development.
The decision enables META to develop faster. A UI code in HTML, JavaScript and CSS can be used almost unchanged via various operating systems. For WhatsApp, this means equal functionality with the browser -based version (which can be reached via web.whatsApp.com) and in the long term probably also less development effort.
With the change, users lose deep integration into the Windows ecosystem. Features such as seamless synchronization with the Windows notification center or the optimized keyboard navigation could no longer be available in the same quality in the web version. It is also questionable whether the web version can offer the same offline functionality as the native UWP app.
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