WhatsApp's unreleased iPad app will reportedly spawn a macOS Catalyst app, too

WhatsApp logo (Image credit: Harish Jonnalagadda / iMore)

What you need to know

WhatsApp is said to be working on an iPad app but it hasn't been released yet.
A new report claims the unreleased iPad app will also offer a macOS Catalyst version.
Catalyst allows developers to create apps that run across multiple types of devices, including Macs and iPads.

WhatsApp has been rumored to have an iPad app in the works for some time and now a new report says that the unreleased app will eventually spawn a macOS Catalyst app, too.

While WhatsApp's iPad isn't yet in the App Store, it seems that the Meta company is already keen to use the work it's been doing to also create a new Mac app using Catalyst. Apple's Catalyst allows developers to create apps that are designed to run on multiple devices, and an iPad app being made to run on a Mac is one example of that.

According to a new WABetaInfo report, that's what we should expect to see eventually.

... we at WABetaInfo can also confirm that WhatsApp is working on a new application to release on macOS Catalyst. How is that possible? Thanks to the iPad app! Maybe you don't know, but Apple allows using compatible iPad apps on macOS Catalyst and WhatsApp is going to enable the support at a later date: they are working on it right now!How does the macOS app look? Exactly like the iPad app we spotted some time ago. They have the same interface, but WhatsApp for macOS Catalyst will have some UI improvements: they are needed to use the app correctly on a desktop interface.

This will all need the iPad app to be ready as well, something that still doesn't have a timeline. While WhatsApp is one of the best iPhone apps for instant messaging, its lack of an iPad app is still a real downside. That's clearly something that will be fixed eventually, and using that app as the basis for a Mac app should help in terms of development time within WhatsApp, too.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.