WhatsApp is one of the rare major brands that takes its Windows app seriously. Thanks to consistent updates, WhatsApp on Windows is almost as functional as on mobile. For Windows 11, a new update takes this a step further and may even make the web version obsolete in the process.
WhatsApp Desktop made its debut on Windows 11 back in January, boasting a new design for Microsoft’s fresh OS. That overhaul was brought to the Beta version that has been available in preview on Windows 11 and Windows 10 since last November.
A new update to WhatsApp beta for Windows adds four interesting new features. The first two – archive chats permanently and show message reactions – are standard on iOS and Android but are now coming to Windows 11.
Video calling and GIFs are also landing on the WhatsApp app on the platform. Importantly, these features bring the app on par with the web version, which has had the features since last year.
App vs Web
Now that these are easily available by opening the app, does that mean the web version becomes pointless on Windows. While the Windows app has been well maintained, it has traditionally lagged behind the web version. That means users would use WhatsApp web over the app on PC.
However, the new update brings more feature parity between the two versions. There is no doubt using an app is more efficient, so now the features are in place, why use the web version? It simply takes longer to navigate to the web version.
Tip of the day: File History is a Windows back up feature that saves each version of files in the Documents, Pictures, Videos, Desktop, and Offline OneDrive folders. Though its name implies a primary focus on version control, you can actually use it as a fully-fledged backup tool for your important documents.
