WhatsApp is testing a new look for the bar at the bottom of its Android app, and it is a bigger visual shift than the usual round of bug fixes. Spotted inside a recent beta build, the update swaps the current flat navigation bar for a floating, pill-shaped one with rounded corners, a style Android users will recognize from WhatsApp’s own iPhone app. Here is what is actually changing, why WhatsApp is doing it now, and when you can expect to see it. For more on what else has changed this year, see our guide to WhatsApp’s biggest new features of 2026.
What’s Changing in the Redesign
The core change is how the navigation bar sits on the screen. Instead of stretching flat across the bottom edge the way it does today, the bar now floats above the interface with rounded edges, giving it a more distinct, separated look from the chat list behind it. The four sections it controls stay the same: Chats, Communities, Updates, and Calls, the same layout WhatsApp moved to the bottom of the screen in an earlier 2023 beta update.
The new style shows up in both light and dark themes, though the change is more noticeable in light mode, where the floating bar stands out more clearly against the white background. Unlike WhatsApp’s iOS app, the Android version does not pick up the translucent, frosted-glass effect from iPhone. WhatsApp appears to be keeping the visual inspiration while still following Google’s own Material Design conventions for Android, rather than copying the iPhone look wholesale.
Why WhatsApp Is Making the Change
According to WABetaInfo, which tracks WhatsApp’s beta builds closely, the update is meant to bring Android’s interface a step closer to the more modern feel of the iOS app. The timing lines up with users publicly asking for a fresher design on Android, where the interface has looked largely the same for the last few years. Meta has been steadily narrowing the design gap between WhatsApp’s Android and iOS apps over the past couple of years, a pattern also visible in how it has rolled out other products like Meta’s newer AI tools, and this redesign fits that same broader push.
When It’s Coming to Your Phone
This one is still early. The floating navigation bar was found inside WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.26.38.10, but it has not been switched on for beta testers yet, meaning even people running the beta app cannot try it themselves right now. WhatsApp typically builds features like this quietly in the background, tests them with a small slice of beta users first, then rolls them out gradually to everyone else over several weeks. No public release date has been confirmed, and the design could still change before it reaches a wider audience.
What This Means for You Right Now
There is nothing to set up or change today. If your WhatsApp on Android still looks the same, that is expected, this feature has not been switched on for anyone yet. If you want to be among the first to see design changes like this as they roll out, joining the WhatsApp beta program through the Google Play Store puts you in line earlier than the standard app, though features are still enabled gradually even for beta testers. For everyone else, simply keeping the WhatsApp app updated from the Play Store is enough to receive the redesign whenever Meta activates it more broadly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the new WhatsApp navigation bar live yet?
No. It has been found inside a beta build but has not been turned on for beta testers or regular users. There is currently no way to activate it manually.
How do I join the WhatsApp Android beta to try new features early?
You can sign up through the WhatsApp Beta Program listing on the Google Play Store. Being in the beta increases your chances of getting new features early, but WhatsApp still activates most changes gradually rather than for every beta user at once.
Will WhatsApp on Android end up looking exactly like the iOS app?
Not exactly. The floating, rounded navigation bar borrows the general idea from iOS, but WhatsApp is keeping it within Android’s own Material Design style and has not added the translucent effect seen on iPhone.
What are the four tabs on WhatsApp’s redesigned navigation bar?
Chats, Communities, Updates, and Calls, the same four sections WhatsApp has used on Android since it moved navigation to the bottom of the screen in 2023.
Final Note
This redesign is still in testing, so nothing changes for most Android users just yet. NexPloreInfo will update this article once WhatsApp begins rolling the floating navigation bar out more broadly.
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