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WhatsApp Desktop Stuck Loading WebView2 on Windows

When WhatsApp Desktop for Windows stays on the startup splash with only a tray icon, repair Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime or reinstall the Evergreen Standalone package.

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Last checked
Sep 14, 2026
Applies to
Windows, Desktop
Fix status
Community Confirmed
Fastest useful check

Quick answer

Match WhatsApp Desktop for Windows stuck on the startup splash (logo only) with a tray icon and no chat UI, including prompts that Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime is required or that the installer is already installed. First open Settings → Apps, find Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime, choose Modify → Repair, force-quit WhatsApp, and relaunch. If it still sticks, download the Evergreen Standalone WebView2 installer, run it as administrator, reboot, and open WhatsApp again. Use web.whatsapp.com while you fix the runtime. This is not a general WhatsApp outage white-screen with working WebView2.

On this page

What we're seeing

  • The fingerprint is WhatsApp Desktop for Windows stuck on the startup splash or logo loading screen, often with only a tray icon and no chat window.
  • Independent January–March 2026 first-hand Reddit and WebView2Feedback reports tie the stuck splash to a broken or missing Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime, including after Edge uninstall or Windows debloat.
  • First-hand leftovers that cleared the splash include Repair on Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime, Repair on Microsoft Edge, and installing the Evergreen Standalone WebView2 package as administrator.
  • Some first-hand cases show the WebView2 installer saying already installed while WhatsApp still cannot start; clearing a stale EdgeUpdate client key then reinstalling Evergreen as admin recovered those cases.
  • This guide is not for account restore loops or a sitewide WhatsApp outage where the desktop client already has a healthy WebView2 runtime.

Start here

Try these first

Fix 1

Confirm the stuck splash fingerprint

Community Confirmed

Match the Windows Desktop splash or tray-only state before changing WebView2.

  1. Confirm WhatsApp Desktop for Windows opens to a logo or loading splash, or only shows a tray icon, with no chat UI.
  2. If WhatsApp asks for Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime, or the installer says it is already installed, stay on this guide.
  3. Force-quit every WhatsApp process from Task Manager before repair steps.

Applies to Windows, Desktop

Fix 2

Repair Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime

Community Confirmed

January–February 2026 first-hand Reddit reports cleared the stuck splash after Repair on WebView2 Runtime or Repair on Microsoft Edge, then a full WhatsApp relaunch.

  1. Open Windows Settings → Apps → Installed apps.
  2. Find Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime. Choose Modify → Repair. If the runtime is missing from the list, open Microsoft Edge → Modify → Repair instead.
  3. Force-quit WhatsApp again, then relaunch from the Start menu.
  4. If the chat UI appears, stop here.

Applies to Windows, Desktop

Fix 3

Install Evergreen Standalone WebView2 as admin

Community Confirmed

First-hand reports that still stuck after Repair recovered after running the official Evergreen Standalone WebView2 installer as administrator and rebooting.

  1. Download the Evergreen Standalone installer from Microsoft’s WebView2 runtime page.
  2. Right-click the installer → Run as administrator and finish the install.
  3. Reboot Windows, then open WhatsApp Desktop once.
  4. If the installer says already installed and WhatsApp still sticks, continue to the stale-key leftover below.

Applies to Windows, Desktop

Fix 4

Clear a stale EdgeUpdate client key

Community Confirmed

WebView2Feedback first-hand cases where the installer claimed already installed while WhatsApp stayed empty cleared after removing a stale EdgeUpdate client GUID and reinstalling Evergreen as admin.

  1. Fully quit WhatsApp.
  2. In Registry Editor, open HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate\Clients and look for the client key {F3017226-FE2A-4295-8BDF-00C3A9A7E4C5}.
  3. If that key is present and the Evergreen installer still refuses to repair, export the key for backup, then delete only that client key.
  4. Run the Evergreen Standalone installer again as administrator, reboot, and relaunch WhatsApp.
  5. Only edit that one client key. Do not wipe all of EdgeUpdate.

Applies to Windows, Desktop

Fix 5

Use web.whatsapp.com while fixing

Community Confirmed

First-hand reporters keep messaging on the browser client while repairing WebView2 so the desktop leftover stays non-blocking.

  1. Open https://web.whatsapp.com in a normal browser and sign in with the QR code if needed.
  2. Keep using the browser client until Desktop launches past the splash.

Applies to Windows, Desktop

Device notes

Windows
This fingerprint is Windows Desktop only. Prefer Repair, then Evergreen Standalone as admin, before registry edits.
Mac
Not the target fingerprint. macOS WhatsApp Desktop does not use Edge WebView2.
Desktop
Linux builds are outside this WebView2 leftover path.

Official information

Checked on 14 September 2026, Microsoft documents the Edge WebView2 Runtime Evergreen installer, and first-hand WhatsApp Desktop threads plus WebView2Feedback issues show Repair or Evergreen Standalone clearing the stuck splash. WhatsApp Help does not publish a dedicated article that names only this splash-plus-WebView2 failure.

Sources

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