The WhatsApp messaging service is getting a makeover on mobile phones. A screenshot of a test version gives an overview of the changes to come.
WhatsApp’s interface is currently undergoing a major overhaul. The first changes to the usual design have already been made, especially on Android phones. For example, for some of you, the menu bar is now at the bottom of the screen. Many buttons are no longer round but square. But this is only the beginning.
According to fan blog WABetaInfo, WhatsApp will also revamp the top section of the app. Currently green in color on Android devices, it will soon become white. Only the WhatsApp logo will remain green. The magnifying glass icon for the search function and quick access to the camera will remain. However, next to it, your profile picture will be visible. This is probably a sign of the future function allowing to use WhatsApp with several profiles. On the screenshot below, you see the old version on the left and the new one on the right.
Additionally, WhatsApp will provide direct access to certain filters. For example, you can display only unread discussions, private chats or professional chats. Until now, these filters were not available or accessible only after clicking on the magnifying glass icon.
It is not yet clear when this new design will be rolled out to all accounts. At the moment it is only available in beta version 2.23.18.18 for Android phones. According to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp will also change the top section in the iOS app, adding the new filter options among other things. Hopefully this new design will be better received by the community than the new emoji bar.
This was supposed to simplify icon selection, but a large majority of the community disapproved of this change. This was seen not only through numerous comments on “X” (formerly Twitter). The main criticism was that you can only scroll vertically through emojis, not horizontally like before. So it takes more time to find the desired emoji.