WhatsApp on Windows 11 Sees Meaningful RAM Increase with New Update
WhatsApp users on Windows 11 are experiencing a significant increase in RAM usage following a recent update to the application. Beginning in early November, WhatsApp began notifying users of a major update available through the Microsoft Store, now only offering a “Beta” version of the app. This update fundamentally changes how WhatsApp functions on Windows,shifting from a native Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app to a web application running on WebView2 technology.
This transition appears to have immediate and negative consequences for performance, particularly regarding system resource consumption. According to a report by Windows latest on November 12, 2025, the new WebView2-based version utilizes significantly more RAM than its predecessor.the older UWP version required approximately 10 MB for the login screen and peaked at 100-300 MB during active use, depending on message load.
In contrast, the new version demands roughly 300 MB of RAM just to display the login screen. Once loaded, the application consistently consumes over 1 GB of RAM, with Windows Latest observing peaks of 2 GB and even 3 GB during active messaging.
beyond the increased RAM usage, users are also reporting longer loading times and compatibility issues with Windows 11 notifications.
currently, Meta is allowing both versions of WhatsApp to run concurrently. Though, users will eventually be automatically logged out and required to re-authenticate via their phone, potentially being transitioned to the new WebView2 app with up to one year of chat history. If these performance issues are not addressed, the benefits of using the Windows app over the web version may be minimal.
