WhatsApp is alerting its users about a significant upcoming change: starting December 9, 2025, users of the desktop app will be logged out during the next update. This marks yet another instance of the Meta-owned platform warning users, as it appears to be gradually transitioning from the old Universal Windows Platform (UWP) WhatsApp to a new web-based version.
In late October, many desktop users began receiving notifications that they would be logged out from November 5. Reports from Windows Latest highlighted these announcements, which were positioned conveniently beneath the “Search or start a new chat” section on the app interface.
Upon receiving the update in early November, users noticed a marked increase in resource consumption, with the new Chromium-based WhatsApp utilizing around 1GB of RAM consistently, compared to the native version’s average of below 100MB. Now, WhatsApp is issuing warnings to additional users who have not yet updated, indicating that they must do so to avoid being logged out and transitioned to the CPU-intensive web-wrapper version.
WhatsApp’s New Update Notification
Recent notifications from WhatsApp suggest that users will soon be required to update their app, although there are still options to delay this update temporarily.
The warning message reads:
“The next update starting 9 December You’ll be logged out to complete the update and you’ll need your phone to log back in.”
For those curious, clicking the “Learn more” option below the notification reveals a pop-up detailing forthcoming features for WhatsApp on Windows, including Channels and enhancements to Status and Communities.
After the update, users will be required to access WhatsApp through their mobile device to log in again, with the company assuring chat history synchronization of up to one year.
It’s worth noting that such notifications are unusual for routine updates, as their existence stems from the necessity of logging users out. However, this is not the only drawback of the transition.
Evaluating the New WhatsApp: Chromium vs. Native
Extensive testing by Windows Latest has drawn significant comparisons between the new Chromium-based WhatsApp and its predecessor, the native UWP app. The consensus is clear: Meta’s shift toward a web-based application is unjustified, given the sacrifices users must make in terms of performance and responsiveness.
Testing results indicate that the new version can consume up to seven times more RAM than the previous native version. This increase could be tolerable if the app exhibited improved speed and efficiency; unfortunately, the opposite is true, with the web wrapper demonstrating sluggish performance typical of similar applications.
Users will find the chat-switching process notably slower, which can be particularly frustrating. Upon restarting a computer, the new app requires 10 to 20 seconds to load chats—far from the ideal speed expected from an instant messaging platform.
Initial launching of the new version demands around 600MB of RAM, increasing to a staggering 1.2GB during normal interactions, like scrolling through conversations. This presents specific challenges for users operating on lower-end devices, such as those equipped with 8GB of RAM, now considered below average.
This growing RAM consumption issue raises concerns, especially as memory costs surge, yet applications are continually consuming more resources, driven largely by frameworks like Electron and WebView.
Options for Retaining the Old WhatsApp
Users currently have the option to continue using the old version without being forced to update.
WhatsApp is not yet mandating updates, as indicated by this second notification. However, it’s important to acknowledge that similar platforms could enforce mandatory updates in the future, limiting usability without compliance.
To prevent automatic updates from occurring, users can pause updates in the Microsoft Store settings:
- Open the Microsoft Store app.
- Click on your profile icon in the top right corner.
- Select “Store settings” and switch off “App updates.”
Note that disabling this setting will not prevent updates from being shown; updates will still appear in the store, but users can choose when to implement them.
Having tested the new Chromium-based version, I prefer the old native WhatsApp for as long as it remains usable. While the absence of Channels and Communities is disappointing, I value the app primarily as a messaging tool rather than as a social media platform.
Have you made the switch to the new WhatsApp? If so, what has your experience been like?
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