No, this is not technically breaking news. In some sense, WhatsApp on PCs is not a new thing as well. The app has a Windows app for a while now. It is technically an incarnation of WhatsApp Web, but without reliance on web interfaces, to a certain degree.
The thing is, when you sign into your Desktop version of the app before this, you are not really signed into WhatsApp Desktop. Rather, you are signed into a web-based version of the app. Which also means that the desktop app is a lie. Well, they did not do anything to mask that WhatsApp Desktop is nothing more than web-based interface that opens on a separate window.
The new update to the Windows version of WhatsApp Desktop is a little different though. At first glance, they changed on the visuals a little. There are more green accents on the interface. Thy interface also looks somewhat a lot more streamlined than before, less clunky. You also see a video call and phone button now, which means you can make calls from your PC now, instead of your smartphone. Then you turn to your smartphone and instead of “Google Chrome” or “Microsoft Edge” listed on your linked devices, it is now “Windows”.
This is all a part of WhatsApp making their interface native to Windows. Other than a few visual differences, there are also added a few capabilities to the app.
While you might not notice it too much, WhatsApp being made native to Windows does have a performance boost. It should now load faster, work faster, and is a lot more stable than before. Other than the optimization you get on WhatsApp for Windows, you can also now receive messages and notifications even when your smartphone is offline. It is not completely reliant on your smartphone anymore. Of course, now you can make video calls and phone calls via the app on Windows PC.
WhatsApp for Windows is now live on the Microsoft Store. If you have WhatsApp Desktop already installed on your machine, you simply need to update it via Microsoft Store. The Desktop App is currently limited to Windows. They are working on a working version for Mac currently which also means that it should be available to Mac users soon.
