WhatsApp is rolling out a major design overhaul for both iPhone and Android for the first time in years and it is coming to your phone any day now.
The Meta-owned company promises an overdue lick of paint with fresh icons, improved navigation and a subtle change to one long-standing feature.
WhatsApp says it's releasing the update to improve the usability of the service and enhance the way we all keep in touch.
Key new WhatsApp features
The upgrade, which will be slowly rolling out across the globe, makes things look less cluttered on your smartphone screen. The company said it hopes users will feel things look fresher and more modern without any disruption to the app's core functionality.
It's the first big visual change to the incredibly popular app since 2021. WhatsApp will lose the big block of green at the top of the main chats page, opting now for a more minimal white look with WhatsApp written in what the firm dubbed “a new, consistent green palette within the app for a unified experience” that it wants to keep “fresh”, “approachable” and “simple”.
You won’t see all these whites and greens if you prefer to use your iOS or Android phone in dark mode though, so WhatsApp has also introduced an even higher contrast tone for dark mode to reduce eye strain and improve legibility.
You may no longer notice it, but if you haven’t ever changed the chat background on WhatsApp, the default is a light-toned peachy colour covered in subtle doodles of people and objects. WhatsApp said it noticed that most of its users never change it, so it has mixed it up with a new design.
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Next, there are some changes to the icons and illustrations shown within the chat app. The company has confirmed that it is updating its icons to a rounded, outlined style and, to match the new iconography, it has also refreshed its illustrations and added animation for what it calls a "more playful aesthetic".
The final big change is for anyone with an an Android phone. They will now have navigation icons at the bottom of the screen, bringing the design closer to iPhone users' version. That’s now where you’ll find chats, updates, communities, and your calls. The icons down there on all smartphones have also been redesigned to be more rounded, with illustrations in the app getting new animations to make them more playful.
Sending photos and videos on iOS will be easier with a new attachment layout. Instead of a full-screen menu, WhatsApp has added an expandable tray that allows you to see the features more clearly when sending media, polls, documents and more.
These extensive changes to WhatsApp follow the recent addition of chat filters to the top of the app that the company said was a “highly requested” feature.
Filters will now be improved too, so users can quickly find the right conversations without scrolling through their full inbox. It's also now possible to select between unread and group filters with just a tap to catch up on missed messages or your favourite group chats.
What has been said
"WhatsApp should feel fresh, fun and yours with a look that’s familiar and native to your device," WhatsApp head of design Idit Yaniv explained. "The new design should enhance simplicity, be scalable and future proof. We considered over 35 different colour iterations, ultimately aligning with WhatsApp’s iconic green and opting for a palette that allows for harmonious colour pairings throughout the app.
"We heard that people wanted a darker dark mode. We focused on higher contrast and deeper tones to reduce eye strain in low-light environments. We’re making it one shade darker for improved visual appeal and legibility. We learned most people used the doodle, but there was an opportunity to make this even more unique and more related to everyday conversations. Our team reviewed every piece of artwork in the doodle and explored new options that were simple in style and better represented a diverse set of people and objects."
What happens next?
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The Meta brand has yet to give an exact timeline for a full launch, but expect the changes to arrive on your phone soon.
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