November 9, 2023, 12:23 p.m. |
Reading time: 3 minutes
There is good news for WhatsApp Desktop users. The messenger service has given its native application some useful updates. TECHBOOK presents the innovations and changes.
WhatsApp has some innovations ready for its desktop app. The application comes in a new look with functional extensions – and without an announcement. Below you can find out what the new WhatsApp Desktop looks like and what functions have been added.
This is what the new WhatsApp desktop design looks like
According to Opinion poll According to Consumer Insights Global from Statista in 2023, WhatsApp is by far the most popular messenger in Germany. Most users use WhatsApp on their smartphone, but there is also a desktop application for Mac and Windows. And the latter app has now received a major update without an official announcement.
This is what the old WhatsApp desktop version looked like. Photo: TECHBOOK.de via WhatsApp Desktop
This is what the new view of WhatsApp Desktop looks like. A menu bar has been integrated on the left. Photo: TECHBOOK.de via WhatsApp Desktop
This is what the settings look like on the new WhatsApp Desktop. These appear when you click on the wheel at the bottom left. Photo: TECHBOOK.de via WhatsApp Desktop
In the old version of WhatsApp Desktop there was a drop-down menu. This is now no longer applicable. Photo: TECHBOOK.de via WhatsApp Desktop
While in the old version the menu options were at the top, with the new WhatsApp Desktop they have been moved to the left. The contacts and chats are still available. The “Status” option has also been integrated into the new version. The settings have moved to the bottom left. A new telephone symbol has been added – more on that in a moment. In addition, the drop-down menu from the old version is no longer there. The mobile version of WhatsApp also received a new design.
This new feature has been integrated
The group calling function that is now possible with WhatsApp Desktop is quite strange. As already mentioned, there was no announcement from Messenger about the update. If you then also look into them WhatsApp FAQsyou will find the following sentence: “Group calls are currently not supported on WhatsApp Desktop.”
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But in the new version there is now group telephony. To do this you have to click on the telephone symbol on the left and then on the symbol with the plus in the top right. WhatsApp contacts then appear and the “New group call” option.
Differences between Mac and Windows
Both Mac and Windows users can download WhatsApp Desktop from their respective stores. The photos above are from a Mac computer, while the image below is from the Windows version. And there are some differences here. The Windows version has also received an update. However, there are minor deviations.
The Windows version of WhatsApp Desktop has some differences from the Mac version. Among other things, the menu arrangement. Photo: TECHBOOK.de via WhatsApp Desktop
For example, the menu layout on the left is slightly different. There the symbols are not all one below the other, but rather split. There is also no “New Group Calls” option on the Windows version when you click on the phone icon. But within a group you can start both video calls and normal calls.