What changed

• WhatsApp now presents a polished Bridge Mode as the recommended default.
• RelayDesk does not preload, restore or intentionally keep WhatsApp Web resident.
• The native WhatsApp Web client opens only after an explicit user action and Bridge Mode remains the default afterward.
• The Bridge Setup panel explains the simple Matrix bridge flow without pretending a real bridge is connected when it is not.
• Connector telemetry reports WhatsApp as Bridge Mode / low memory rather than a resident provider application.
• Visible build marker is WEB 2.2.0 / RD1-220 – WHATSAPP BRIDGE MODE.

Architecture

WhatsApp linked device -> reviewed bridge/direct adapter -> RelayDesk normalization -> Combined Feed -> People -> Unified Threads -> RelayDesk client. The full provider web interface is no longer part of the normal resident architecture.

Truth boundary

A real WhatsApp bridge service has not yet been provisioned by this release. The client is bridge-ready and the native-tab memory policy is live, but production send/receive must wait for an actual reviewed bridge or approved provider adapter.