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WhatsApp appears to be working on native client apps for Windows 10 and OS X systems, according to leaked screenshots shared on Twitter. WhatsApp currently offers ‘WhatsApp for Web’ feature, which mirrors the smartphone version of the app on the web browser, but it doesn’t have separate apps for Windows or OS X.
The screenshots which were shared by WABetaInfo show an option to download the native app client in Windows and OS X. The veracity of the screenshots can’t be confirmed, but there have been talks of WhatsApp working on desktop versions of its app.
Check out the tweet with the screenshots below
Facebook-owned WhatsApp has added quite a number of new features to the Android and iOS versions of its app in 2016, including the ability to share files, PDFs, etc from the apps. Users can also attach files from third-party cloud storage options like Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive and share with their friends on the app.
Additionally WhatsApp now comes with end-to-end encryption across the board, including group chats and calls. End-to-end encryption ensures that the chats, messages, pictures shared by users can’t be read or intercepted by any third-party such as the government, hackers, or cybercriminals.
Rival apps like Telegram, WeChat, Line, etc already offer native clients for Windows and OS X, so WhatsApp will be catching up with these players by launching its own versions of the apps for desktops. Rumours and leaked screenshots have also indicated that WhatsApp is working on adding video-calling to the app, and plans to launch it this year.
WhatsApp has over 1 billion monthly active users across the world.
Also see: WhatsApp end-to-end encryption: How it works and what it means for users
Read more: WhatsApp for iOS gets bold, italics, strikethrough formatting options
