After months of intensive testing, WhatsApp is rolling out the first stage of its Liquid Glass redesign to a significantly larger number of iPhone users. Since May 15, 2026, numerous iOS users have reported seeing the new glass-like appearance in the bottom navigation bar and parts of the Chats tab. This finally brings WhatsApp closer to the look introduced with Apple's own apps in iOS 26.
Adapting to Apple's design language was a long, incremental process for Meta. It all began in October 2025 with a limited test where only select users saw the new Liquid Glass-style bottom bar. Since then, WhatsApp has further developed the design concept in several areas – from the voice message player and the in-chat interface to reactions and context menus. We recently described the extent of the visual overhaul using the example of the preview for the reaction tray and context menus. With this latest wave, the redesign is now reaching a broader range of users.
What's currently changing in WhatsApp
The new design is most noticeable in three areas. The bottom navigation bar, which switches between Chats, Updates, Communities, Calls, and Settings, now appears significantly more translucent. Content from the list above it shows through slightly and reacts to scrolling. The top navigation bar of the Chats tab also adopts this look. Additionally, some in-chat elements now match the overall iOS 26 design.
Other areas will remain unchanged for now. The voice message player and the reaction menu still display the older design and, in direct comparison, now appear significantly more opaque than the rest of the app. It is considered likely that these components will be updated next, as Meta has been publicly working on prototypes in precisely these areas over the past few weeks.
How the rollout works
The new look isn't being rolled out via a specific app version, but rather activated server-side by Meta. This means that even users who have installed the latest WhatsApp version from the App Store won't necessarily see the Liquid Glass design immediately. Screenshots showing the new look on iPhones are already circulating on social media, while other users are reporting that their interface hasn't changed at all.
A uniform timeline is not publicly available. Since the rollout is happening in phases, the new look should gradually spread over the coming days and weeks. Those who haven't yet received it will likely have to wait – manual activation via the app settings is not possible.
Mixed reactions from the community
Reactions are mixed. Some users welcome the fact that WhatsApp has finally caught up with the iOS 26 look and no longer appears visually out of place. Others criticize the increased transparency, arguing that it reduces readability because underlying content shows through the new areas, making it harder for the eye to clearly distinguish elements.
This discussion isn't new. It's been ongoing since the launch of iOS 26 and is one reason why Apple itself included the option to reduce the Liquid Glass effects via a setting. Anyone dissatisfied with the new look in WhatsApp can at least reduce the transparency using this system-wide setting – a separate option within the app doesn't yet exist.
Positioning within Apple's design strategy
With the wider rollout, a chapter closes for Meta that began at Apple's WWDC 2025. At that time, Apple introduced Liquid Glass as the first major visual overhaul since iOS 7 and announced plans to implement the material across all system areas. The design language now extends far beyond the iPhone, as our overview of all the innovations surrounding the Liquid Glass design shows in more detail.
For third-party providers like WhatsApp, this adaptation is not optional. Apps that continue to rely on outdated materials in a Liquid Glass environment stand out visually and appear antiquated. WhatsApp is now gradually addressing this problem – although full implementation is still pending.
The next step is pending
The first phase of the rollout doesn't complete the redesign. Meta hasn't specified exactly when the reaction menu, voice message player, and other areas will receive the new design. It's highly likely that further phases will follow once the current wave has become more widespread. Until then, WhatsApp on iOS remains a visual hybrid – more modern than just a few weeks ago, but not yet fully in the Liquid Glass era. (Image: Shutterstock / Vasylisa Dvoichenkova)
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