Late last year, the Meta-owned messaging giant WhatsApp rolled out a beta UWP (Universal Windows Platform) version of its desktop app for Windows 10 and 11. It aimed to offer an improved WhatsApp experience on the desktop. The beta app is now getting a new update that brings Windows 11 design features to make it look more modern. Here’s a first look at the updated WhatsApp UWP app.
WhatsApp Beta UWP Update Details
The WhatsApp Beta UWP app, since its release in late 2021, has been using buttons and menus that reflect the design language of Windows 10. However, with a recent update, WhatsApp has changed the entire look of the app by adding new buttons, UIs, and dialog boxes that are in sync with the design features of Microsoft’s latest Windows 11 desktop OS.
The update brings support for WinUI 2.6 controls for buttons like Delete and Delete for everyone. Also, the notifications and accounts pages now come with Windows 11-style controls and toggles.
Plus, the new dialog boxes in the WhatsApp Beta UWP app have also been redesigned to use newer controls. The video and voice-calling screens also got support for WinUI 2.6 with the update. You can check out the screenshots below to get an idea.
Overall, WhatsApp has made its beta UWP app match the translucent Mica design language of the Windows 11 platform. However, other than this, there is not much change in the update, feature-wise.
For those unaware, the WhatsApp UWP version is based on the Universal Windows Platform instead of the resource-intensive Electron framework, which takes up more RAM than the former. If you want to try it out on your device, you can check out our in-depth story on how to install the WhatsApp beta UWP app on Windows 10 and 11. However, it is worth mentioning that the app is in its beta state and might contain various bugs and glitches.
kbc