Anyone that’s used the WhatsApp Windows desktop app probably didn’t do so for very long. It’s a slow, buggy mess that we’d rather avoid at all costs. Or should we say, was a slow, buggy mess. The Meta-owned messaging platform recently announced a revamped of the WhatsApp for Windows app.
Jumping through Windows
Two new features join the app that set the messenger up to take on Zoom. Video calls can now house eight users, with voice calls now able to support 32 users concurrently. These might sound familiar to some, and that’s because they’re not new. Not really, anyway. The smartphone app has had these features for some time now. The only thing ‘new’ about them is that they’re now supported on Windows machines.
Whether that’s enough for WhatsApp to seriously challenge Zoom (or pretty much any other video-calling service) is questionable. Zoom’s most basic plan allows for sessions of over 100 users. Eight… isn’t going to cut it. WhatsApp did confirm that it’s working on extending these limits, in the hopes of keeping you connected to friends, family and most importantly, colleagues.
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Besides the general (and much-needed) facelift, WhatsApp boasts that it’ll load faster, and adds a couple of quality-of-life changes including “faster device linking and better syncing across devices.” Link previews and stickers have also made an appearance, something we were shocked to learn hadn’t yet been added. It’s 2023, people, link previews are essential.
The announcement also teased us with a promise for a new, faster Mac app akin to the latest update for the Windows app. When that’ll come, we can’t be sure. Until then, we’re resigning ourselves to WhatsApp’s browser client. Windows users can download the new app right here.