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WhatsApp Releases Redesigned Mac App With Support for Group Calls

fwmireault said:
The missing iPad app is really annoying, especially for a messaging app. They could at the very least make the iPhone app available on iPad. The web experience is poor and I'm constantly disconnected from the app. Hopefully they will bring the native macOS app to iPad in the near future.

Now I'd also like a watchOS app but I know it will never happen.
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Surely Zuckerberg must dislike the trashy 'WHATSPAD' web-wrapper apps that have sprang up on iPad to fill the gap, it just makes the service itself look crap and diverts potential revenue away rom the company (some are around 2-3 USD/GBP to buy).
 
Skyscraperfan said:
I never understood why people want to show their faces during a phone call. Most people are not beautiful enough that seeing their face ads any value to a conversation.
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Totally agree. It’s also quite unnatural, very rarely when meeting someone will you stare constantly at their face.

Makes sense for group meetings but I much prefer a phone call for one to one, the conversation is always better.
 
ipedro said:
Totally superficial but the dumb pun in WhatsApp's name has always made me cringe. I wish they'd rebrand it to Messenger and merge with Facebook Messenger which is already interoperable with Instagram DMs. Even the icon is much nicer.


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While twitter users are 90% tech savvy so rebranding to X is not a major issue, It's kinda dangerous to radically rebrand something like whatsapp which has a lot of grandmas and boomers as their user base.
 
Marbles1 said:
On a related point, WhatsApp being absent from the iPad feels like part of technology culture now.
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Has to be some internal agreement not to release it between Meta and Apple. WhatsApp would almost end the use of iMessage and Facetime outside of the US where it is prevalent. The Windows app seems way less gimped than the Mac version as well.
 
pacmania1982 said:
Same - but if you download it from the WhatsApp website it's Universal.
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The AppStore one got an update just a day ago, it is natural to assume the AppStore also got the "new" version already (well I did as well).

By the way, why does the website download version have an installer, it is not just an app you can move to the Applications folder? I am wary of Meta installing anything more than it should in my system. Guess I will wait for the AppStore one at least it will be vetted.
 
Chancha said:
The AppStore one got an update just a day ago, it is natural to assume the AppStore also got the "new" version already (well I did as well).

By the way, why does the website download version have an installer, it is not just an app you can move to the Applications folder? I am wary of Meta installing anything more than it should in my system. Guess I will wait for the AppStore one at least it will be vetted.
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I had hoped the AppStore version was the new one, but it's not updated yet :(

The version on their website doesn't have an installer, it's just an app you can move to Applications. Not sure what you've downloaded.

 
KibJ said:
I had hoped the AppStore version was the new one, but it's not updated yet :(

The version on their website doesn't have an installer, it's just an app you can move to Applications. Not sure what you've downloaded.
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I downloaded the non-native version from the website back in the day. Does anybody know if it will be automatically replaced with the native app (you cannot force updates, unfortunately)? Or do you have to delete the old app and install the new one?
 
Chancha said:
The AppStore one got an update just a day ago, it is natural to assume the AppStore also got the "new" version already (well I did as well).

By the way, why does the website download version have an installer, it is not just an app you can move to the Applications folder? I am wary of Meta installing anything more than it should in my system. Guess I will wait for the AppStore one at least it will be vetted.
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The version I downloaded was a DMG with the app in that I just dragged over... Make sure you're going to the official site and not some dodgy pretend one.
 
KibJ said:
I had hoped the AppStore version was the new one, but it's not updated yet :(

The version on their website doesn't have an installer, it's just an app you can move to Applications. Not sure what you've downloaded.

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pacmania1982 said:
The version I downloaded was a DMG with the app in that I just dragged over... Make sure you're going to the official site and not some dodgy pretend one.
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Nevermind what I said, I was totally confused: the downloaded WhatsApp dmg mounts and the image name is "WhatsApp Installer". Then I concurrently have another app I was installing and that one has an installer app running. I was confusing between the two lol.
 
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brilliantthings said:
Ooh it’s a Catalyst app. Does that mean it will work on iPad if they put it in the iPad App Store?
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Although a Catalyst app is an iPadOS-based app that is made to run on macOS, it does not necessarily mean that the app is able to run on iPadOS. They might have used Catalyst to reuse their iOS code instead of modifying/rewriting it for macOS and then extended it with parts that only run on macOS, without adding parts for an iPadOS version. It does mean however that there is a base project that they could turn into an iPad app.
 
KALLT said:
Although a Catalyst app is an iPadOS-based app that is made to run on macOS, it does not necessarily mean that the app is able to run on iPadOS. They might have used Catalyst to reuse their iOS code instead of modifying/rewriting it for macOS and then extended it with parts that only run on macOS, without adding parts for an iPadOS version. It does mean however that there is a base project that they could turn into an iPad app.
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Hmm. That's disappointing.
 
KALLT said:
Although a Catalyst app is an iPadOS-based app that is made to run on macOS, it does not necessarily mean that the app is able to run on iPadOS. They might have used Catalyst to reuse their iOS code instead of modifying/rewriting it for macOS and then extended it with parts that only run on macOS, without adding parts for an iPadOS version. It does mean however that there is a base project that they could turn into an iPad app.
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But putting it another way.. I find it hard to believe that in building the Mac app they wouldn't have built it compatible with iPadOS. Or is this just wishful thinking?
 
brilliantthings said:
But putting it another way.. I find it hard to believe that in building the Mac app they wouldn't have built it compatible with iPadOS. Or is this just wishful thinking?
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As n-evo correctly alludes to, the issue is that Meta doesn’t want to make, or at least release, an iPad app.

It is easier to turn an iOS app into an iPadOS app than it is to go further and create a Catalyst app.
 
KALLT said:
As n-evo correctly alludes to, the issue is that Meta doesn’t want to make, or at least release, an iPad app.

It is easier to turn an iOS app into an iPadOS app than it is to go further and create a Catalyst app.
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Do we know why? Why create a Mac app but not an iPad one?
 
The app’s version of the Mac App Store was just updated and it is still the old Intel-only Electron version. Kinda frustrating for us who prefer the App Store (when it comes to apps from Meta, the additional Apple check is greatly appreciated). Who knows what they meant by “soon”…
 
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valdikor said:
The app’s version of the Mac App Store was just updated and it is still the old Intel-only Electron version. Kinda frustrating for us who prefer the App Store (when it comes to apps from Meta, the additional Apple check is greatly appreciated). Who knows what they meant by “soon”…
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Ugh. I am one who prefers the App Store version too. I remember this same frustration waiting for OneDrive to update although the standalone download was long updated to native release.
 
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Meta doesn’t care about iPad, unfortunately.

- Facebook does not support the dark mode
- Instagram is available only in iPhone-mode
- no Whatsapp app


Meanwhile, Meta released an optimized Instagram app for an android tablet (Samsung Galaxy Z fold 5) and a Whatsapp app for Android smartwatches.
 
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fromgophonetoiphone said:
Ugh. I am one who prefers the App Store version too. I remember this same frustration waiting for OneDrive to update although the standalone download was long updated to native release.
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Definitely experiencing a déjà vu. There is a new update in the Mac App Store now, and again it’s the Electron/Intel version…
 
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