For developer convenience, users pay with gigabytes of RAM and nerves.
The popular messenger WhatsApp initiated a sudden experiment on Windows users, forcibly switching them to a new, yet considerably more “demanding” application. This process is set to conclude by December 9th, and many complain that the software runs slower and consumes ten times more primary memory.
The reason is that the newer edition, as reported by the publication WindowsLatest, is essentially not a standalone program but merely a shell for the messenger’s website. Now, the window of the application loads the web.whatsapp.com page within itself.
This method, built on Microsoft WebView2 technology, often streamlines development but almost invariably degrades performance. The program ceased being a swift “native” application and morphed into a “heavy” web wrapper, consuming computer resources with renewed vigor.
For now, users have a temporary loophole: they can disable automatic updates in the Microsoft Store and manually revert to the older iteration. However, experts believe this is only a postponement. Meta (recognized as extremist and banned in the RF), which owns WhatsApp, ultimately intends to finalize the transition of all users to the new architecture.
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