July 22, 2025 — In a move that feels like a downgrade for many dedicated users, WhatsApp is officially replacing its native Windows 11 Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app with a version built using Microsoft's WebView2 technology – essentially a repackaged web experience.
The news, confirmed by WhatsApp and spotted by users receiving update prompts, marks a significant shift in strategy. The original UWP app, launched with considerable fanfare for Windows 10 and 11, promised deeper integration with the operating system. It offered features like true native performance, seamless notifications integrated with Windows Action Center, potential offline functionality (though limited), better camera access, and a generally more responsive feel compared to its predecessor.
Why the Switch Back?
The decision, while disappointing to users who valued the native experience, isn't entirely surprising. Sources suggest maintaining the complex native UWP app across different Windows versions and hardware proved challenging and resource-intensive for WhatsApp's development team.
Switching to WebView2 offers significant advantages for Meta (WhatsApp's parent company) from a development perspective:
- Cross-Platform Consistency: The core experience is fundamentally the same web app that powers WhatsApp on other desktop platforms (macOS, Linux) and browsers. This means features can be developed once and deployed everywhere much faster.
- Simplified Maintenance: Maintaining a single codebase (the web app) wrapped in WebView2 for Windows is far simpler than maintaining a separate, complex native UWP application.
- Potentially Smaller Footprint: The WebView2-based app is significantly smaller to download and install compared to the UWP version.
What Users Lose (and Might Gain)
For users, however, this shift represents a clear trade-off:
- Loss of Native Feel & Performance: The UWP app felt like a true Windows application. The WebView2 version, while functional, often feels more like a website running in a dedicated window. Animations and scrolling may be less smooth.
- Reduced OS Integration: Features like advanced notification handling within the Windows 11 Action Center, potential background syncing efficiency, and tighter camera/microphone integration are diminished or lost.
- Offline Functionality: While the UWP app had limitations, its native core offered some potential for offline interaction (like viewing past messages). The WebView2 app is far more reliant on an active internet connection.
- Resource Usage: While smaller on disk, WebView2 apps can sometimes consume more RAM during active use compared to a well-optimized native app.
Potential upsides include faster feature rollouts (as the web app gets updated) and potentially more stability if the UWP app was problematic on specific hardware. The install size is drastically reduced, going from nearly 200MB for the UWP app down to around 50MB for the WebView2 version.
The Transition is Underway
The change isn't theoretical. Users who had the native UWP app installed are receiving updates that effectively replace it with the WebView2 version. New users downloading WhatsApp from the Microsoft Store will only get the WebView2 variant.
WhatsApp confirms Windows 11 app shift to WebView2, ending native UWP experience
User Reaction: Mostly Disappointment
Early reactions from the Windows community, particularly power users and those who appreciated the UWP app's polish, have been largely negative. Many express frustration at losing the more integrated, performant experience in favor of what feels like a regression to a basic web wrapper.
"Feels like a massive step backwards," commented one user on a tech forum. "The UWP app wasn't perfect, but it felt like a proper Windows app. This new one is just the website in a frame."
WhatsApp's Stance
WhatsApp has framed the change positively, emphasizing the benefits of faster updates and a more consistent experience across desktop platforms. They state the WebView2 technology provides a "reliable and secure service" and allows them to "focus on delivering features more quickly." However, they haven't directly addressed the concerns about the loss of native integration and feel.
The Future is Web-Powered?
This move by WhatsApp is part of a broader, albeit often controversial, trend. Many developers find maintaining truly native applications for different operating systems increasingly burdensome. Technologies like WebView2 (based on Chromium) and Electron offer a compelling solution: write once, deploy (almost) everywhere. However, this often comes at the cost of the unique look, feel, and deep integration that native apps provide.
For Windows users who valued WhatsApp's brief foray into a native experience, this week's shift back to a web wrapper feels like a significant loss. While it might streamline development for Meta, it undeniably makes the Windows WhatsApp experience feel less special and less integrated with the operating system. The performance and integration trade-offs will be the true test of whether users accept this "progress." For now, the sentiment among many is simply: disappointment.
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