WhatsApp is hard at work on an all-new Catalyst-based Mac app

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Whatsapp (Image credit: WhatsApp)

What you need to know

  • WhatsApp is working on its new macOS app.
  • The new macOS app will be built using Catalyst.
  • Users will benefit from a more native app experience than the one currently available.

WhatsApp is reportedly working on an all-new Mac app that will be built using Catalyst. The new app will be built on an equally-new iPad app.

We heard last year that WhatsApp was working on a new iPad app that would eventually spawn a Catalyst Mac app. Now, WABetaInfo reports that the Catalyst app is in the works, and it has a screenshot to prove it.

Whatsapp Catalyst Mac App Screenshot

Whatsapp Catalyst Mac App Screenshot (Image credit: WABetaInfo)

As you can see in this screenshot, when you open WhatsApp for macOS for the first time, you need to link your phone by scanning the QR Code: you will be able to scan the QR code generated by WhatsApp for macOS right within WhatsApp Settings > Linked devices. We will also be able to link WhatsApp for Android to WhatsApp for macOS, so people do not need to switch to iOS if they are using WhatsApp on an Android device.

WABetaInfo also mentions that there will be an improved user interface, although it isn't yet clear what that means.

While there is already a WhatsApp app for the Mac, it isn't great. Nor is it native, something that a Catalyst build of the iPad app would fix. We can expect this app to be released via the App Store once it's ready to go, but there is no indication of when that will be. At least we now know that it's definitely being worked on, though!

WhatsApp is one of the best Mac messaging apps already, but making it a native app is something that we can all get behind.

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.