4 ms·

This just seems to be exactly like the Whatsapp Web running in the browser. I don't understand what benefit comes from the native client.

by shoggs 10y ago

Tiktaalik 10y ago
With a desktop app you can easily and quickly command-tab to it if you want to use it. In contrast with a web app it's often awkward and time consuming to find the window/tab of the web app you're running amongst your other browser windows/tabs.
- jackmodern 10y ago
  Try fluidapp, solves that problem very quickly.
- takno 10y ago
  Chrome has that sorted already on android, where you can run up a site with a home screen link, different icon and separate listing in the task list. Given the work they've recently put in on full screen mode on desktop it looks like they're maybe a couple of versions away from having something similar on desktop
  - tuxracer 10y ago
    Actually they're removing it on Android even :(
    - nsgi 10y ago
      Really? Thought support for that feature was increasing with the web app manifests. Do you have a source?
    - takno 10y ago
      They're actively adding features. It's a little more complex than it used to be with the manifest, and needing a service worker and encryption for a lot of features, but it's all still there
  - nsgi 10y ago
    This used to be possible on desktop with create application shortcuts, but this feature seems to be gone now :(
    - powersurge360 10y ago
      Still there: Hamburger Menu -> More Tools -> Add to Desktop
      - yankcrime 10y ago
        This capability was removed from the OS X version of Chrome some time back.
        powersurge360 10y ago
        Interesting. I saw it work as recently as a few weeks ago. Looking at the support article (here: https://support.google.com/chrome_webstore/answer/3060053?hl=en https://support.google.com/chrome_webstore/answer/3060053?hl...) it looks like OS X is the only platform where it no longer works. How strange.
  - lucb1e 10y ago
    Chrome? I thought all browsers had it, my Symbian device did iirc as well as Firefox for Android.
    - takno 10y ago
      Firefox has it but it's not as tight yet. In particular it doesn't have a good splash screen experience or notifications on android
- pritambaral 10y ago
  Not really. Extract the web.whatsapp tab into its own window and now you can command-tab to it. ---- Plus, on my OS at least, I can even search for the window by its title. That, combined with workspaces, is an organizer's godsend.
  - acchow 10y ago
    This isn't how cmd+tab works on a Mac. Do you mean alt+tab in Windows?
    - pritambaral 10y ago
      I don't really treat cmd+tab and cmd+` very differently, sorry. On my OS, both work: I can alt-` to cycle through windows of same application and alt+tab to cycle through each individual window (grouped by application); maybe that's given me the habit of treating alt+` merely as a filter on alt+tab. Oh! This is perhaps also why I get annoyed by cmd+tab on Macs!!
      - BozeWolf 10y ago
        Next tme on mac try cmd+' to cycle between windows of the same app(although im not sure, because it really is muscle memory). Cmd tab cycles through wndow groups? Or does it cycle through each window? Which wm on which os do you use? gnome kde or something else?
        pritambaral 10y ago
        > Next time on mac try ... I do know how it works on Mac, it's just my muscles don't. > Which wm on which os do you use? gnome kde or something else? Kwin (from the KDE suite) on Arch Linux.
kawera 10y ago
I see three "nice to have" benefits: full keyboard, copy and paste text/links when you're browsing the web and sending images taken with a traditional camera. None of these are essential for sure and I for one prefer using my phone but sometimes it can be handy.
- franciscop 10y ago
  I think he means compared to the web one
scope 10y ago
None in my [Mac]book. If you're running on OSX, open WhatsApp web on Safari, allow notification & pin the tab. Same outcome but resource efficient (compared to an Electron app).
joshschreuder 10y ago
It's somewhat covered in the blog post: > Because the app runs natively on your desktop, you'll have support for native desktop notifications, better keyboard shortcuts, and more.

This just seems to be exactly like the Whatsapp Web running in the browser. I don't understand what benefit comes from the native client.

by shoggs 10y ago

This just seems to be exactly like the Whatsapp Web running in the browser. I don't understand what benefit comes from the native client.

Tiktaalik 10y ago

With a desktop app you can easily and quickly command-tab to it if you want to use it. In contrast with a web app it's often awkward and time consuming to find the window/tab of the web app you're running amongst your other browser windows/tabs.

jackmodern 10y ago
Try fluidapp, solves that problem very quickly.
takno 10y ago
Chrome has that sorted already on android, where you can run up a site with a home screen link, different icon and separate listing in the task list. Given the work they've recently put in on full screen mode on desktop it looks like they're maybe a couple of versions away from having something similar on desktop
- tuxracer 10y ago
  Actually they're removing it on Android even :(
  - nsgi 10y ago
    Really? Thought support for that feature was increasing with the web app manifests. Do you have a source?
  - takno 10y ago
    They're actively adding features. It's a little more complex than it used to be with the manifest, and needing a service worker and encryption for a lot of features, but it's all still there
- nsgi 10y ago
  This used to be possible on desktop with create application shortcuts, but this feature seems to be gone now :(
  - powersurge360 10y ago
    Still there: Hamburger Menu -> More Tools -> Add to Desktop
    - yankcrime 10y ago
      This capability was removed from the OS X version of Chrome some time back.
      - powersurge360 10y ago
        Interesting. I saw it work as recently as a few weeks ago. Looking at the support article (here: https://support.google.com/chrome_webstore/answer/3060053?hl=en https://support.google.com/chrome_webstore/answer/3060053?hl...) it looks like OS X is the only platform where it no longer works. How strange.
- lucb1e 10y ago
  Chrome? I thought all browsers had it, my Symbian device did iirc as well as Firefox for Android.
  - takno 10y ago
    Firefox has it but it's not as tight yet. In particular it doesn't have a good splash screen experience or notifications on android
pritambaral 10y ago
Not really. Extract the web.whatsapp tab into its own window and now you can command-tab to it. ---- Plus, on my OS at least, I can even search for the window by its title. That, combined with workspaces, is an organizer's godsend.
- acchow 10y ago
  This isn't how cmd+tab works on a Mac. Do you mean alt+tab in Windows?
  - pritambaral 10y ago
    I don't really treat cmd+tab and cmd+` very differently, sorry. On my OS, both work: I can alt-` to cycle through windows of same application and alt+tab to cycle through each individual window (grouped by application); maybe that's given me the habit of treating alt+` merely as a filter on alt+tab. Oh! This is perhaps also why I get annoyed by cmd+tab on Macs!!
    - BozeWolf 10y ago
      Next tme on mac try cmd+' to cycle between windows of the same app(although im not sure, because it really is muscle memory). Cmd tab cycles through wndow groups? Or does it cycle through each window? Which wm on which os do you use? gnome kde or something else?
      - pritambaral 10y ago
        > Next time on mac try ... I do know how it works on Mac, it's just my muscles don't. > Which wm on which os do you use? gnome kde or something else? Kwin (from the KDE suite) on Arch Linux.

kawera 10y ago

I see three "nice to have" benefits: full keyboard, copy and paste text/links when you're browsing the web and sending images taken with a traditional camera. None of these are essential for sure and I for one prefer using my phone but sometimes it can be handy.

franciscop 10y ago
I think he means compared to the web one

scope 10y ago

None in my [Mac]book. If you're running on OSX, open WhatsApp web on Safari, allow notification & pin the tab. Same outcome but resource efficient (compared to an Electron app).

joshschreuder 10y ago

It's somewhat covered in the blog post: > Because the app runs natively on your desktop, you'll have support for native desktop notifications, better keyboard shortcuts, and more.