What the Liquid Glass Redesign Is and Why It Matters
WhatsApp is rolling out a Liquid Glass redesign that rethinks how the app looks and feels on iPhone. Inspired by Apple’s upcoming iOS 26 design language, the new interface leans heavily on transparency, depth, and layered visuals. Instead of flat, opaque panels, users will see semi-transparent surfaces that subtly reveal content beneath, giving the app a more immersive and premium appearance. This visual overhaul is not just cosmetic; it’s about making WhatsApp feel like a natural extension of the operating system rather than a standalone, skinned app. Meta is testing the new look through WhatsApp for iOS version 25.28.75, initially via beta builds, with the goal of refining the experience before broad release. For users, the shift promises a more modern, cohesive interface that better reflects current iOS design trends.
Translucent Tabs, Refreshed Buttons, and Smoother Animations
The most noticeable change in the WhatsApp Liquid Glass redesign is the new bottom navigation bar. It now features a semi-transparent surface that gently blurs whatever sits behind it, creating a floating, glass-like effect. Icons respond with smoother, more fluid animations when tapped, and the active tab indicator dynamically adapts to the selected icon, reinforcing a sense of motion and continuity. This treatment applies in both light and dark modes, with transparency and background blur tuned to each theme. Beyond the tab bar, buttons across the app adopt semi-translucent surfaces and polished tap animations, replacing older flat elements with a more responsive, tactile feel. Together, these tweaks make everyday interactions—switching tabs, opening chats, or triggering actions—feel more cohesive and visually consistent with the rest of iOS 26’s interface.
Matching the iOS 26 Design Language for a More Native Experience
Liquid Glass is more than a visual gimmick; it’s WhatsApp’s attempt to align tightly with the broader iOS 26 design language. Apple’s next-generation UI emphasizes layered depth, transparency, and smooth motion, and WhatsApp’s redesign mirrors those priorities. Semi-transparent overlays, softer shadows, and glass-like surfaces help the app blend into the system’s aesthetic, especially when combined with the new native-style keyboard. This alignment benefits users by reducing visual friction: WhatsApp now behaves and looks more like Apple’s own apps, instead of standing out with a distinctly different interface. On modern displays, especially those that highlight subtle blur and light effects, the result is a more premium, integrated experience. It also signals a wider industry trend where third-party apps adapt early to platform-level design shifts to feel truly at home on the system.
Updated Menus, Keyboard Styling, and Remaining Inconsistencies
Beyond tabs and buttons, WhatsApp’s Liquid Glass redesign extends to menus and the typing experience. Context menus now adopt the same glass-like treatment, with adaptive transparency and layered visuals that sit more naturally over chats and lists. WhatsApp is also adopting the iOS 26 native keyboard look, giving the typing area a translucent, reflective quality that adapts to the chat background. This helps unify the visual flow from chat bubbles to keyboard, reducing the sense of separate interface blocks. However, the experience is not yet fully consistent. The chat bar still retains parts of the older flat design, creating a slight mismatch with the newer Liquid Glass elements. These gaps underline that the redesign is still in progress, giving Meta room to refine edge cases and polish interactions before calling the overhaul complete.
Gradual Rollout and What Users Should Expect Next
The WhatsApp Liquid Glass interface is currently in a limited rollout phase, tied to WhatsApp for iOS version 25.28.75 and enabled selectively on user accounts. Even if users install the latest update from the App Store, they may not see the new design immediately, as Meta is turning it on gradually to monitor performance, stability, and user feedback. This staggered approach allows the company to tweak transparency levels, animation timings, and layout details without disrupting the broader user base. Some design elements may still change before the final release, especially as Apple continues refining iOS 26. Users can expect the Liquid Glass look to become more consistent over time, with remaining flat elements—like portions of the chat bar—eventually updated to match. For now, the redesign hints at how messaging apps are evolving toward richer, more immersive visual experiences.