WhatsApp dumped its native app for Windows in favor of a web wrapper earlier this year. The new version of WhatsApp uses a tremendous amount of RAM and does not perform as well as its predecessor.
The move to a web wrapper allows the developers of WhatsApp to maintain a single code base across platforms. That should — at least in theory — result in an up-to-date and feature-rich application.
While the new WhatsApp uses more RAM, it also has some features the native version lacked. For example, the Status and Community sections of WhatsApp are more robust and fleshed out on the web wrapper version.
With RAM prices so high, I'd prefer to use an app that's light on system resources, but you could argue that the increased RAM usage is worth it if you get the latest features more quickly.
So, imagine my disappointment when WhatsApp rolled out an update that added support for Group Member Tags and Text Stickers, only for me to realize the features are currently exclusive to mobile devices.
Here's what's new in WhatsApp, at least on the mobile side of things:
- Member tags: We all wear different hats, and sometimes you want to give that more context in a group chat. Now you can give yourself a tag that tells the group what your role is, and can be customized for each group you’re in. So you can be “Anna's Dad” in one group, and “Goalkeeper” in another.
- Text stickers: For the messages you want to really stand out, you can now turn any word into a sticker by typing your text into Sticker Search. You can also add newly created stickers directly to your sticker packs instead of having to send them in a chat first.
- Event reminders: Now when you create and send an event in your group chat you can set custom early reminders for your invitees. This helps everyone remember to commute to the party you’re hosting or hop on the call at the right time, depending on the event type.
I'm in a bunch of group chats — too many, really. In addition to chats with family, I am in several group chats for the various American football teams I'm involved with.
In one chat, I'm there as a head coach. In another, I'm an assistant. In a third, I'm a former player there for banter. Member tags are a feature I could see myself using frequently.
As far as I can tell, the features that rolled out to mobile devices have not made their way to any of the desktop versions of WhatsApp. So, it's not like WhatsApp has left out its Windows app specifically.
Interestingly, setting a member tag on a mobile device results in that tag appearing in group chats viewed on WhatsApp Desktop and WhatsApp Web. It's just the ability to set member tags that's missing on the desktop.
I can't say the same for text stickers when it comes to partial support on the desktop. That feature remains exclusive to the mobile versions of WhatsApp.
Hopefully, the WhatsApp feature gap will close soon. If a messaging app is going to use over 400MB of RAM, which is what the app is using on my PC right now, I'd at least like to be able to use all of WhatsApp's features.
Do you message from you PC? If so, which apps do you use? Let us know in the comments!
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