ZapFast opens WhatsApp in under a second using 200 MB instead of 1.13 GB
ZapFast: A fast, native WhatsApp client in Rust and egui
ZapFast is a native WhatsApp client for Linux, macOS, and Windows, built in Rust with egui and fastframe and linked to your phone through whatsapp-rust. It runs without a browser engine, so in a Linux test it launches in under a second and idles around 200 MB of RAM, versus 1.13 GB for WhatsApp Web. It supports messages, media, voice notes, polls, multiple numbers, an encrypted local archive, app lock, and themes. It's unofficial, MIT-licensed, and may violate WhatsApp's terms.
ZapFast is an unofficial client and is not affiliated with WhatsApp or Meta. Using an unofficial client may be against WhatsApp's terms of service and could get an account suspended. Use it at your own risk.
- d3Xt3r
> In our Linux test it opens in under a second and uses about 200 MB of idle RAM
Is it just me or does anyone else feel that 200 MB is a lot for a native chat app written in Rust, that's essentially a remote interface for the WhatsApp on your phone?
I remember back in the day, apps like Miranda IM (and early versions of Trillian) used only digits of RAM, even when you had multiple plugins talking several protocols at the same time, whilst having a ton of advanced features not found in WhatsApp. Yes I get that times have changed and software has become bloated etc, but 200 MB still feels a bit too much.
- codedokode
Also, I looked at how dates are written in a screenshot and thought that "2 days ago" would be so much better than "Tuesday". Because you do not have to compute in your head how many days ago Tuesday was.
- codedokode
Egui is pretty bad idea. It uses "immediate mode" rendering which means whole window is redrawn on every mouse move. I ran PhotoCraft (built in Rust + egui) in a VM wihout a GPU and the UI felt like it was running on 3 fps. If you use egui, try running it without a GPU before releasing.
Egui is definitely not what you want to use on a 4K screen. It is only good for tiny screens of embedded devices.
Why there is no reactive UI that tracks all dependencies and redraws only what needs to be redrawn? (not React, it also re-calculates (but not redraws) everything on every change).
Also why does it visually look like bad version of Telegram? And Telegram can run without a phone present.
- loremdifr
dont get me wrong, I like the extra performance, but every single alternative whatsapp client has the same issue where it's missing enough core features that you end up needing to go to the browser version often enough to be a nuisance and I end up just using the browser instead (which I hate, I really really would prefer a performant client instead!)
- aeontech
Looks great, but... how can one trust it with credentials/communication? (nothing against the developer, more the principle of the thing)