WhatsApp didn’t have a true desktop version until recently — both the Windows and Mac apps just wrapped the web version in an Electron shell. That changed last year when Windows got a native release and a native macOS release went into beta. Initially, it was a closed beta available only to TestFlight participants, but now anyone (with a Mac) can get it.
You can download it from the official site, it is available for macOS Big Sur and later. The site warns that this version is still in the early stages of development.
Native WhatsApp for macOS enters public beta
Interestingly, the WhatsApp team used Apple’s Mac Catalyst framework, which makes it easier for developers to build apps that run on iPadOS and macOS. This is curious because there is no version of WhatsApp for iPad (users should use the web version instead). Maybe that will change once this app comes out of beta.
Either way, the native app should run faster and be more efficient on Mac hardware (the same goes for the Windows version), so it’s nice to see the older version of Electron go away.
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