What’s happened to WhatsApp? A big redesign is rolling out now –here’s what’s new

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Load up WhatsApp on your phone today and you might find it’s looking rather different: a major new redesign, including revamped icons, a more minimal approach, and a white background for the conversation list, is now rolling out to all users.

The idea is to keep the app “fresh, simple and approachable”, in the words of Idit Yaniv, the head of WhatsApp design at Meta (via Android Police). Overall, the interface looks cleaner and more fitting for a messaging app in 2024.

You’ll notice a more consistent approach in terms of color scheme, based around variations on the familiar WhatsApp green. That green is now being used more selectively, with “neutral” colors more common, and the dark mode has been made darker, with a higher level of contrast.

The icons have been tweaked to a more rounded style, in the form of outline drawings, and the illustrations and animations have been tweaked to match, too. The app now sports a more “playful aesthetic”, Yaniv says, and you’ll find these icons, illustrations, and animations scattered throughout WhatsApp.

A new doodle

WhatsApp through the ages (Image credit: WhatsApp)

Also of note is the updated default background doodle, which now shows objects that are more “simple in style” and better represent “a diverse set of people and objects”. It’s the background most people use for most chats, though it can be changed.

The main navigation bar (for chats, updates, communities, and calls) has been moved to the bottom of the screen on Android, to match iOS. The two app versions aren’t identical yet though: opening Settings works differently on Android and iOS.

According to Yaniv, the WhatsApp redesign has been built with the future in mind. It’s already a phenomenally popular app, with more than two billion users, though it’s less commonly used in the US – something that might change as Apple and Google continue to clash over making their apps work seamlessly across platforms.

“Over the years, we have primarily focused on adding utility to the app,” Yaniv says. “As the product continued to grow in functionality, the design needed to evolve as well.” As long as you’re running the latest version of WhatsApp, you should see the refresh appear soon (if it hasn’t shown up already).

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