WhatsApp last year launched a new version of its macOS app that was completely rebuilt from scratch. Although users could still use the old Electron-based WhatsApp, Meta has now confirmed that it will soon be discontinued and shut down.
WhatsApp users on macOS must install the new app
As noted by WABetaInfo, those who are still running the old WhatsApp app for Mac are now being notified that it will no longer be available in 54 days. Meta says that users must download the new version either from the WhatsApp website or the Mac App Store.
“As you can see from the attached screenshot, users of the Electron app on Mac are now being notified that this app will no longer be available in 54 days. To maintain access to WhatsApp on a desktop computer, they are encouraged to switch to the new Catalyst app, which will preserve all their chats and contacts,” says the report.
The new WhatsApp for macOS is built with Catalyst technology, which uses the iPhone app as a base and runs natively on the system. An Electron app, on the other hand, is essentially a web app running on the computer, which means it has worse performance and some other limitations.
Some people have opted to continue using the Electron app since the new WhatsApp for macOS was released without some important features. However, over the last year, Meta was able to bring most of the missing features to the new app.
WhatsApp is available for free on the Mac App Store, and it requires a Mac running macOS 11 or later. The company is also working on an iPad version, although the release date remains unclear.
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