WhatsApp doesn’t seem to be done with the navigation bar it rolled out on Android in recent years. A new solution has emerged via the beta version 2.26.38.10 available on the Google Play Store Change again one of the most used elements of the app.
This novelty is still under development and has not yet been made available to testers. Therefore, the new design may undergo further changes ahead of a possible public release.
New WhatsApp bar
The most obvious changes involve the shape of the lower bar. The main parts of the app, dedicated to chat, community, updates, and calls, are concentrated within a single element that is visually separated from the rest of the interface and has rounded corners. This selection section is reminiscent of Bars present in WhatsApp for iOSthe interface adopts floating settings, rounded edges and translucent effect. On Android, however, the same effect isn’t necessarily used.
In fact, WhatsApp seems to have preserved the differences between the two platforms. New elements dominate iPhone version of floating structure and rounded cornersand the final look of the Android bar may follow a different route.
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This change follows a previous intervention in Android navigation. Main section moved to bottom of screen To make it easier to switch between different areas of the app. Now WhatsApp seems willing to step in again with the look of the same interface.
It’s not yet certain if this is the final version. WhatsApp is still developing the new bar and may introduce more changes before making it available to users. Redesigns can also be linked to community requests. Shortly before the new interface was discovered, some Android users asked WhatsApp to update the app’s look, which some considered outdated. However, there is no evidence that feedback directly affects new projects.
Therefore, the new field is currently still a feature under development in beta 2.26.38.10. WhatsApp should start rolling out the feature to a limited number of users in a future beta version, while a rollout date for the new interface in the stable version has yet to be announced.
