WhatsApp Mac Beta With Native Apple Silicon Support Now Available to All Users

WhatsApp has been working on an updated Mac app that features native Apple silicon support since the summer, and a beta version of the app is now available to all WhatsApp users who want to try it out.

Whatsapp Feature
As noted by WABetaInfo, the Mac app with native Apple Silicon support can be downloaded from the WhatsApp website, with the download available directly by clicking here.

The beta was previously available to a limited number of people with WhatsApp TestFlight access, but WhatsApp is expanding testing ahead of an official release. Note that this is still a beta, so some features might not be functioning as expected.

Apple silicon Macs have access to the Electron-based Intel version of WhatsApp for Mac through Rosetta 2, but this is the first time that a native version has been made widely available. The Apple silicon-optimized Universal app will run faster and use less resources on machines with the M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max, M1 Ultra, M2, ‌M2‌ Pro, and ‌M2‌ Max chips.

Popular Stories

apple intelligence black

Report: Apple's AI Strategy Could Finally Pay Off in 2026

Tuesday December 30, 2025 9:01 am PST by
Apple's restrained artificial intelligence strategy may pay off in 2026 amid the arrival of a revamped Siri and concerns around the AI market "bubble" bursting, The Information argues. The speculative report notes that Apple has taken a restrained approach with AI innovations compared with peers such as OpenAI, Google, and Meta, which are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in data...
apple fitness 2026 1

Apple Teases 'Something Big' Coming Soon to Apple Fitness+

Tuesday December 30, 2025 2:11 pm PST by
The Apple Fitness+ Instagram account today teased that the service has "big plans" for 2026. In a video, several Apple Fitness+ trainers are shown holding up newspapers with headlines related to Apple Fitness+. What's Apple Fitness+ Planning for the New Year? Something Big is Coming to Apple Fitness+ The Countdown Begins. Apple Fitness+ 2026 is Almost Here 2026 Plans Still Under ...
maxresdefault

Hands-On With a Rough iPhone Fold Mockup

Monday December 29, 2025 10:55 am PST by
Apple is rumored to be introducing a foldable iPhone in September 2026, and since it will bring the biggest form factor change since the iPhone was introduced in 2007, curiosity about the design is high. A 3D designer created an iPhone Fold design based on rumors, and we printed it out to see how it compares to Apple's current iPhones. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
maxresdefault

Where's the New Apple TV?

Monday December 22, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Apple TV 4K since 2022, and 2025 was supposed to be the year that we got a refresh. There were rumors suggesting Apple would release the new Apple TV before the end of 2025, but it looks like that's not going to happen now. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said several times across 2024 and 2025 that Apple would...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max Users Report Static Speaker Noise While Charging

Tuesday December 30, 2025 10:39 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max owners are having trouble with the speakers of their devices, and have complained about a static or hissing noise that occurs when the iPhone is charging. There are multiple discussions about the issue on Reddit, the MacRumors forums, and Apple's Support Community, where affected users say there is a noticeable static noise "like an old radio." Some people report...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Next Year With These 12 New Features

Tuesday December 23, 2025 8:36 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another nine months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models. The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID Front camera in...
macbook air march 2020

Apple Says Final Intel MacBook Air and Apple Watch Series 5 Now 'Vintage'

Wednesday December 31, 2025 8:39 am PST by
Apple today added the final 13-inch MacBook Air powered by Intel processors, the Apple Watch Series 5, and additional products to its vintage products list. The iPhone 11 Pro was also added to the list after the iPhone 11 Pro Max was added back in September. The full list of products added to Apple's vintage and obsolete list today: MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2020) iPhone 8 Plus 128GB ...
Mac Pro Feature Blue

What's Happening With the Mac Pro?

Wednesday December 31, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Mac Pro since 2023, and according to recent rumors, there's no update coming in the near future. In fact, Apple might be finished with the Mac Pro. Bloomberg recently said that the Mac Pro is "on the back burner" and has been "largely written off" by Apple. Apple apparently views the more compact Mac Studio as the ideal high-end pro-level desktop, and it has almost...

Top Rated Comments

barkomatic Avatar
38 months ago
I live in the States and use WhatsApp to talk to my friends in other countries that don't have iPhones. I don't know why people assume that something they don't personally use must be bad.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Love-hate ? relationship Avatar
38 months ago
This means WhatsApp for ipad is coming soon !!

Hopefully before 2040
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
blairh Avatar
38 months ago

No one outside of Europe seems to use it for the most part. Why Europe seems to use it so much is beyond me.
LOL.

https://www.verint.com/blog/what-countries-are-the-biggest-whatsapp-users/

WhatsApp is better than iMessage. I wished more Americans used it.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sw1tcher Avatar
38 months ago

In Australia no one really uses WhatsApp
Over 12 million or 36 percent of Australian population is a lot of nobodys

https://www.socialmedianews.com.au/social-media-statistics-australia-march-2022/

Social Media Statistics Australia – March 2022

1. Facebook – 18,000,000 Monthly Active Australian Users (steady)
2. YouTube – 17,500,000 Unique Australian Visitors per month (UAVs)
3. WhatsApp – 12,000,000 Active Australian Users
4. Instagram – 10,000,000 Monthly Active Australian Users (FB/ Instagram data)
5. LinkedIn – 6,500,000 Monthly Active Australian Users approx


https://www.statista.com/forecasts/1187986/messenger-usage-by-brand-in-australia



Attachment Image
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kyjaotkb Avatar
38 months ago
Finally! Always fascinating to see reactions from Americans on here re: Whatsapp. Here in London, 95% of my contacts use iPhones and yet I exclusively use Apple Messages for 2FA codes and tracking updates. Virtually all green bubbles. Funny how iMessage quietly died down over the years. I know a few Apple hardcore fans who use iMessages but for the most part, Whatsapp is the universal app here.

Now it would be great if the 3-4 spyware apps (can you believe they still ise McAffee) my company installs on my M1Pro MBP moved to AS. The constant use of Rosetta means I never had more than 4.5 hours of battery on my 14-inch.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hexcalibur Avatar
38 months ago

Did you even read the article you posted? Accessing and using are two very different things. I downloaded and accessed the app once too and it counts me as a user even tho I’ve never even sent a message on there.
Outside of the US it's huge. Even in Canada I was surprised when I asked my students (university) how they communicated for group work and class notes and so on. The university makes MS Teams available for free and everyone has a university email account, but *every student* said they use WhatsApp for team projects and class work.

I use it to keep up with friends and family in Europe. It's the go-to app for texting. Excited to have a desktop client for my Mac, as I hate typing on my phone.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)