How to Replace Windows 11’s WhatsApp WebView2 with the Classic Native App Using a Simple Trick

WhatsApp’s Performance Woes on Windows 11: A User’s Guide to Downgrading

Recently, WhatsApp has encountered significant performance issues on Windows 11 following its transition away from the native WebView2 framework, which is based on Chromium. As a result of the update, users have observed a drastic increase in RAM consumption, with reports of usage soaring to around 2GB. Fortunately, there is a workaround: installing an older version of WhatsApp can restore the native experience, albeit with the caveat that it may eventually stop functioning.

The updated version of WhatsApp is demanding more resources than many standard applications, providing no tangible improvements compared to the web version. While some users have embraced these changes, many others are left frustrated, particularly due to the excessive memory utilization.

WhatsApp web app performance comparison — WhatsApp Beta web app consumes three times more RAM than the UWP version, even before logging in.

Steps to Reinstall the Older Version of WhatsApp

For those who wish to revert to the older version of WhatsApp, the following guidelines provide a step-by-step approach, starting with downloading the application from November 2025:

Access Settings > System > Advanced to enable the Developer Mode toggle.
Download the package 2.2546.3.0 from Mega Drive and extract it using 7-Zip. Don’t forget to also acquire the MSIX Packaging Tool from the Microsoft Store.
Right-click the 2.2546.3.0 package, select 7-Zip from the context menu, and extract the contents into a designated folder.
Launch the extracted MSIX package file with the tool you installed from the Microsoft Store.
Alter the Package name to wha.wa and set the Version to 10.20000.300.0.
Choose the Do not sign packages option, then click Save. The tool will generate a new package file on your device, which you will need to register next.
Next, extract the new MSIX package again with 7-Zip and locate the AppManifest.xml file. Right-click it and select Copy as path.
Open an elevated PowerShell window and type the command Add-AppxPackage -Register. Paste the copied path afterwards. For example, your command may look like Add-AppxPackage -Register “C:\Wha\AppxManifest.xml”.
After running the command, you can launch WhatsApp once the PowerShell window is closed.

Comparing Performance: Old vs New WhatsApp

The performance difference between the previous and current version of WhatsApp is stark. Observations from Windows Latest reveal that the new version can consume up to 3GB of memory during busy usage, while the older version remains surprisingly efficient, rarely exceeding the 1GB threshold.

Running UWP WhatsApp edition on Windows 11

In my personal tests involving frequent communication, RAM usage stayed well-controlled, only peaking around 400 MB when viewing status updates, typically involving videos. Even repeated viewings kept usage comfortably below 300 MB.

Given this significant resource disparity, it’s evident why many users might prefer returning to the older WhatsApp version.

Please note that using this workaround will prevent the app from automatically downloading new updates. However, there is a possibility that Meta will eventually phase out support for the older version entirely.

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