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WhatsApp Releases Redesigned Mac App With Support for Group Calls
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I got fed up of waiting for them to finally release the apple silicon version on the app store (the intel app is so slow to load) so went with the one on the website. I guess Apple is grilling them hard about the obscene amount of tracking and analytics they're presumably doing in the new version 🙃
I had the silicon WhatsApp app but then just removed it and went with “add to dock” for the web version
I'm guessing its a phased roll-out. Let the early adopters run the new app for a month or two via direct download before offering it to the masses via the App Store. It's the right thing to do really.
I use WhatsApp heavily and wasn't even aware of a Beta so they did a poor job of advertsiing it. Again, a staged roll-out is the right thing to do.
Besides, if people want the new version that badly then directly download it. I don't see the issue.
It wouldn't surprise me if Apple were holding up the availability on the App Store either for frivolous reasons. Because Apple.
Yeah, they definitely made a poor job of advertising it. It was reported for example here on MacRumors:
WhatsApp Mac Beta With Native Apple Silicon Support Now Available to All Users
WhatsApp has been working on an updated Mac app that features native Apple silicon support since the summer, and a beta version of the app is now...
www.macrumors.com
Yeah because every user and I check MacRumors articles exclusively for news each day.Yeah, they definitely made a poor job of advertising it. It was reported for example here on MacRumors:
WhatsApp Mac Beta With Native Apple Silicon Support Now Available to All Users
WhatsApp has been working on an updated Mac app that features native Apple silicon support since the summer, and a beta version of the app is now...
Some kind of pop-up notification or one-time banner in the app inviting people to test would have been more appropriate. But it's not a big deal. I'll download it from the Store when it's available. Current app works just fine in the meantime.
Absolutely, it's not a big deal at all at the end of the day.
I just wanted to provide additional info for the sake of discussion.
It's likely not phased but instead they are waiting to roll out the native version on the app store. As I mentioned MacRumors had an article last year when Microsoft went to native silicon for their OneDrive app, which hit their download site immediately, but took another month before the App Store version got a native silicon build.
I hate the new layout. The wasted real estate in the unnecessary column on the left for those four icons who were happy enough above the chat accounts. It's also buggy where previous versions never gave me trouble. The latest annoyance is opening up with a third of the chat window on the right cut off. You have to expand and contract the window to get it back.
The new app is finally available on the Mac App Store.
Not as an update to the old WhatsApp Desktop app, but as a universal "purchase" with the iPhone version. That means the old app will not update by itself to the new version, it must be re-downloaded.
It's basically the same thing Amazon did with the Kindle app for Mac. The old app stopped updating and the new one is another "SKU" in the App Store, universal with the iOS version. While it can be annoying and risks some users being stuck on the obsolete app unless they are explicitly guided to get the new app, moving to a single universal app purchase all Apple platforms is the right step in the long run.
Not as an update to the old WhatsApp Desktop app, but as a universal "purchase" with the iPhone version. That means the old app will not update by itself to the new version, it must be re-downloaded.
It's basically the same thing Amazon did with the Kindle app for Mac. The old app stopped updating and the new one is another "SKU" in the App Store, universal with the iOS version. While it can be annoying and risks some users being stuck on the obsolete app unless they are explicitly guided to get the new app, moving to a single universal app purchase all Apple platforms is the right step in the long run.
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Perhaps this is considered an improvement for WhatsApp, but one thing I cannot stand is how they moved the selection panel to the left of the chats list from on top of the chats list. I like to split screen with Messages, and horizontal space is at a premium. This UI decision squeezes valuable space for the message display.
Meta today released its overhauled WhatsApp app for macOS, introducing support for group calls, dragging and dropping files, and more.
The new native Mac app is optimized for large displays and desktop-class experiences like dragging and dropping files into chats and viewing more messages in chat histories. It also touts better performance and supports WhatsApp group calls from macOS for the first time, supporting up to eight people on video calls and up to 32 people on audio calls. Users can join a group call after it has started, see their call history, and choose to receive incoming call notifications even when the app is closed.
The new WhatsApp experience debuted on Windows earlier this year. Following a lengthy beta testing period, the native Mac app is now available to download from whatsapp.com and will soon be released on the Mac App Store.
Article Link: WhatsApp Releases Redesigned Mac App With Support for Group Calls
The fonts look blurry on my 14" M1 Max, like they are an increased size image instead of proper MacOS fonts.
The fonts are also quite small and it is not possible to change the size. There are some other bugs, like stickers not showing and etc.
The memory usage has dropped significantly, specially after installing the app downloaded from the website, which runs natively on ARM processors unlike the one from App Store 🤦♂️
The fonts are also quite small and it is not possible to change the size. There are some other bugs, like stickers not showing and etc.
The memory usage has dropped significantly, specially after installing the app downloaded from the website, which runs natively on ARM processors unlike the one from App Store 🤦♂️
The new version for Mac is now on the App Store, fully native on ARM. It's the same version that's available from the website.