WhatsApp’s improved bottom navbar is officially rolling out to Android users of the cross-party messaging platform.
As confirmed by the official WhatsApp X (formerly Twitter) account, the updated navbar replaces the older top navbar and includes the new “Communities” section, while “Status” is now “Updates.” The layout consists of “Chats,” “Updates,” “Communities,” and “Calls.”
This change has been sporadically available to WhatsApp Beta users over the past few months, with the interface sometimes disappearing entirely for those on the preview program. It has been available on iPhone for longer, but the order of the navbar is slightly different and omits a dedicated “Settings” button – as shown below:
WhatsApp states that the new navbar is “closer to your thumbs” while the design is “easy on the eyes.” It does fit in better with recent Material 3.0 design principles and looks great on devices that have heavy Material You theming such as the Google Pixel series.
Given the increased size of modern smartphones, this might make it much easier to access the various WhatsApp sections to get what you need done. If you do use WhatsApp, the updated bottom navbar should be rolling out right now. We’re seeing this on multiple devices running v.2.24.725 and even a few older versions.
More on WhatsApp:
- WhatsApp appears to be bringing voice transcription to Android following iOS debut
- WhatsApp may soon let you pin up to five chats
- WhatsApp now blocks ability to take screenshots of profile pictures
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