As of summer 2022, WhatsApp has been working on an updated Mac app with native Apple Silicon support. So far, this was not publicly available, but the normal Mac app could also be used with Apple silicon. Now a beta version of the native app is available for all WhatsApp users who want to test it.
As reported by WABetaInfo, the Mac app with native Apple silicon support, i.e. native support for Macs with Apple's M1 or M2 processor, can be downloaded from the WhatsApp website – alternatively, the direct download of the DMG Installation file possible. The detour via an emulation of the normal WhatsApp app for Mac via Rosetta 2 is therefore no longer necessary. With this omission, the final version of the Apple Silicon-optimized universal app should run faster and use fewer resources on Macs with the M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max, M1 Ultra, M2, M2 Pro and M2 Max chips.
Yellow logo and feedback function
The beta version was previously only available to a limited number of people with WhatsApp TestFlight access, but WhatsApp is now expanding testing ahead of an official release and giving any user the ability to pre-report an issue via an in-app button . As always, please note that the app is still in beta, so some features may not work as expected. To indicate this status, the app's logo is currently yellow and not green. In a first test by the editors, the first public beta version (app version 2.23.1.75) works without any problems. If the beta is installed, your own WhatsApp account must first be released again via the smartphone app via “Linked devices” in the settings.
More than 2 billion users
WhatsApp has more than two billion active users and is available in more than 180 countries. It is particularly important in emerging countries. In India and Brazil, more than 90 percent of the population has it.