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

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Top Rated Comments

46 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)
46 months ago
This means WhatsApp for ipad is coming soon !!

Hopefully before 2040
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
blairh Avatar
46 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
46 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



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Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
46 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)
46 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)