For quite a bit of time, WhatsApp has been teasing an iPad app for the popular messaging service. Now it seems that the company will launch a new macOS app, with Apple’s Catalyst project playing a key role for the same.
A report from WABetaInfo suggests that WhatsApp is working on a new application for macOS’s Catalyst project, primarily due to the iPad application.
Is WhatsApp Going to Launch a New macOS App?
The blog mentions “How does the macOS app look? Exactly like the iPad app we spotted some time ago. They have the same interface, but WhatsApp for macOS Catalyst will have some UI improvements: they are needed to use the app correctly on a desktop interface.”
As of the time of writing this article, WABetaInfo is unsure as to whether the iPad application is going to launch or not, even though it is worth noting that Mark Zuckerberg has hinted at a version coming soon.
For those curious, in an interview WABetaInfo asks about multi-device support, which is a necessity for an iPad app for WhatsApp, to which Zuckerberg added “coming soon.”
Gizchina News of the week
Q: And… what about multi device?
A: And yes this is coming too!
Q: So do you mean I can really use the same WhatsApp account on multiple device, without an active internet connection on my main device?
A: Yup. It’s been a big technical challenge to get all your messages and content to sync properly across devices even when your phone battery dies, but we’ve solved this and we’re looking forward to getting it out soon!
What Else is the Messaging Service Working on?
As of now, WhatsApp has rolled out multi-device compatibility in a public beta phase, for iPad however, people may have to wait for a second version of the feature.
In other news, as per WaBetaInfo, the Communities feature will give group admins more power in a specific group, which will include the option to create a group inside a group, much like channels on Discord. These new admins will also be able to invite new users via the new Community Invite Link, after which they can start messaging other users.
Furthermore, it seems like this is a rather subtle design change, which will aim to make Communities look different from the usual group chats, with WABetaInfo noting that the community icons will be squares, a format that the app accidentally implemented in October of 2021.
