A Major Visual Overhaul Inspired by iOS 26
WhatsApp is rolling out a significant visual refresh on iPhone, closely aligned with Apple’s upcoming iOS 26 design language. The new Liquid Glass interface introduces a more translucent, layered look throughout the app, replacing the older, flatter appearance. According to early beta findings, WhatsApp for iOS version 25.28.75 is where this redesign is taking shape, bringing the messaging experience in step with Apple’s latest UI direction. Users can expect more depth, softer edges, and smoother visual effects that make WhatsApp feel more like a native system app than a bolt-on service. Importantly, the familiar layout and navigation remain intact, so the update is more about aesthetics than relearning how to use the app. This balance aims to modernize WhatsApp’s presence on iOS while preserving the usability that has made it a default messaging choice for many.
Translucent Tabs, Glassy Buttons, and Fluid Animations
The most striking change in the WhatsApp redesign on iOS is the new bottom navigation bar. It now appears as a semi-transparent surface with a subtle blur, creating a floating, glass-like effect that reveals hints of content beneath. Icons respond with smoother, more fluid tap animations, and the active tab indicator dynamically adapts to whichever icon is selected, reinforcing the sense of motion and depth. This Liquid Glass interface extends across both light and dark modes, with transparency and background effects tuned to each theme. Beyond the tabs, buttons throughout the app are being refreshed with semi-translucent surfaces and gentler tap feedback, replacing the harsher, flatter UI from previous versions. The overall effect is a more premium, cohesive design that makes everyday messaging feel visually richer without sacrificing clarity or readability.
Updated Menus and iOS-Native Keyboard Styling
WhatsApp’s Liquid Glass makeover goes beyond navigation to touch nearly every interactive surface in the app. Context menus now adopt a glass-like appearance with adaptive transparency and layered depth, making them feel more integrated with the rest of the iOS 26 environment. The app is also adopting Apple’s native keyboard style, introducing a translucent, reflective look that subtly echoes the chat background. This keyboard treatment makes the typing area feel more immersive and reduces the visual disconnect between system UI and app UI. Buttons and menu items across settings and chat actions have been refined with smoother animations and softer depth cues, reducing the sense of visual clutter. Together, these changes shift WhatsApp from a utilitarian, function-first interface toward something more polished and expressive, in line with broader trends in modern messaging design.
What the Liquid Glass Redesign Means for User Experience
For users, the WhatsApp redesign on iOS is fundamentally about feel rather than new features. Transparency, layered depth, and fluid transitions are intended to create a cleaner, more immersive environment that makes long chats and media-heavy conversations easier on the eyes. On newer OLED-based iPhones, where contrast and subtle blur effects shine, the Liquid Glass interface should deliver a more premium, almost "native" impression that matches Apple’s own apps. At the same time, WhatsApp has kept the core layout and interaction patterns familiar, so there is minimal learning curve. The redesign also helps unify how WhatsApp looks across the broader iOS 26 ecosystem, narrowing the gap between system UI and third-party apps. As messaging becomes a central hub for social and work communication, this more refined, visually expressive presentation can make everyday usage feel less transactional and more thoughtfully designed.
Limited Rollout Now, Wider Availability on the Horizon
Despite appearing in WhatsApp for iOS version 25.28.75, the Liquid Glass interface is not yet available to everyone. The rollout is currently limited and server-controlled, meaning some users on the latest version may still see the old design while WhatsApp selectively enables the new look on specific accounts. This staged approach allows Meta to monitor performance, stability, and user feedback before pushing the redesign more broadly. Parts of the experience are still in progress: for example, the chat bar retains elements of the previous flat styling, suggesting further refinements are planned. As testing continues within the beta channel and early public rollout, users can expect the interface to evolve, with transparency levels, animations, and remaining flat components likely to be adjusted. A wider release is anticipated once WhatsApp is confident the Liquid Glass experience is polished enough for its massive iOS user base.