WhatsApp has released its native macOS app compatible with Apple Silicon in a public beta. Users running Mac with Apple’s own chip with macOS 11 Big Sur or newer version will be able to download the test version. Plus, people with Intel Macs that can run apps built with Mac Catalyst — the company’s program to port iPad POS — will be able to use this native app too.
As WABetaInfo reported, the app was first released for limited testing last July. At that time, users had to get it from Apple’s testing platform TestFlight. Because of this, only a select number of people could try out the app.
Until now, Mac users had to rely on either WhatsApp for the web or its web-based WhatsApp client. Both are not ideal in terms of performance or getting a full-featured experience.
The new native client is still in beta, so there might be some issues. Users can report these glitches by clicking on the bug icon in the bottom left corner.
Image Credits: WhatsApp
We have reached out to Meta for more details on a stable release and will update the story if we hear back.
WhatsApp first released its desktop apps back in 2016, but with the change in Apple’s changing processor in 2020, the native client was the missing piece. In 2021, WhatsApp started testing multidevice linking to one account, so users can receive messages even if their phone is not connected to the internet.