People using theWhatsAppinstant messaging service on Android could be about to benefit from a big interface change, with the upgrade already available to those on the latest beta.
The WhatsApp Android app could be about to get a new bottom navigation bar to make it more in line with Google’s most recent design language. The change would also make the app much more similar to the version that’s available on iPhones as well, further consolidating the design language across multiple platforms.
Handier navigation for all
Putting all of the navigation options at the bottom of the display is a great way to make them easier for people to find and then tap, especially as phones get larger than ever. Reaching the top corner of the display isn’t easy even for the biggest of hands, but this new interface will fix all of that.
First reported byWABetaInfo, the new look is already in the hands of people who are on the WhatsApp beta, which is where the screenshots came from. Right now there are options for Chats, Communities, Status, and Calls which is indeed similar to iOS - although Apple users also have a Settings button down there as well.
This being a beta, it’s possible that WhatsApp will continue to tweak things and that could mean adding a Settings button, changing the order of buttons that are already there, and more. However, the current beta status does mean that those of us who are using the normal version of WhatsApp will need to wait for the update to roll out to everyone.
WhatsApp is normally pretty good at getting beta features through into the shipping product, but we can’t begin to guess at what timeline the company is working to here. Hopefully we’ll all be reading those buttons with ease sooner rather than later.
