- WhatsApp betas for iPhone are starting to incorporate iOS' Liquid Glass design.
- Visible changes: translucent bottom bar, context menus and buttons with depth effect.
- Gradual rollout via TestFlight and server-side activations; no fixed date.
- Adoption relies on iOS APIs and SDKs, prioritizing readability and accessibility.
WhatsApp has begun to move to align its iPhone app with Apple's new visual language. The first test versions already show the integration of Liquid Glass in key parts of the interface, with the goal of fitting in with the look and feel of iOS and maintaining a consistent user experience.
These signals come through iOS beta builds and the usual findings from specialized communities. According to these tests, The adaptation is underway and will arrive in a future update., although the deployment will be progressive and without a definitive date.
What is Liquid Glass and why it matters on WhatsApp?
Liquid Glass is the new design language of the Apple ecosystem, characterized by transparency, reflections, and dynamic visual response. In practice, it translates into translucent layers that react to light, movement and interaction, offering a sense of subtle depth without losing clarity.
Apple applies it consistently across its platforms—iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS—to reinforce visual continuity. This approach unifies controls, toolbars, and tabs, so hardware and software feel more connected and navigation becomes more natural.
In this context, it makes sense for WhatsApp to adopt the same visual pattern: this way, the app will feel integrated with the system and its gestures. The goal is to WhatsApp components behave like the rest of iOS, providing coherence and an updated aesthetic.
The underlying idea—explained by Apple's design team—is that elements adapt to what's happening on the screen. Therefore, The bars can contract when moving and expand when returning., and the menus highlight what is most relevant according to the context.
What's changing in WhatsApp
In the test builds, adjustments are already visible in the bottom navigation area. The classic WhatsApp tab bar now displays a translucent finish with a fluid effect, similar to that seen in system apps, and a visual response to touch that reinforces depth.
Context menus and buttons are also being tweaked. These controls show highlights, shadows and subtle transitions that provide relief without being overwhelming. The goal is a more contemporary aesthetic that doesn't hinder readability, especially in chat lists and content-heavy screens.
The rollout is being carried out in phases. Some features, such as video notes on WhatsApp, appear first in the beta distributed via TestFlight and they are not always activated for all testers at the same time, which is common when changes are enabled in stages from the server.
From a technical perspective, the transition relies on the latest iOS SDK and the interface APIs that Apple has made available to developers. This allows WhatsApp to integrate Liquid Glass natively and with guarantees, leveraging system components designed for transparency, animations, and accessibility.
The team is prioritizing critical areas of the app—the bottom navigation and menus—to validate performance, contrast, and usability with different backgrounds. The brief is clear: add depth without compromising accessibility or consumption, especially on devices with a lot of chat activity and multimedia content.
Availability and deadlines
The company hasn't announced a firm date for the general release. Based on experience with other major visual updates, it's likely that The stable version arrives weeks after the public release of iOS, and not on the same day.
If you're on the test channel and don't see any changes, it's not necessarily a bug: these new features are usually activated gradually. In any case, everything points to WhatsApp will leave the door open to more tweaks as I receive feedback and refine animations, contrasts, and transitions.
The end result should be an app that feels more integrated with the current iPhone, with recognizable navigation and subtle effects. For the user, this translates into a consistent interface with the rest of the system and in perception improvements without altering the essence of the app.
With the first tests already underway, the jump to Liquid Glass in WhatsApp seems on track: Visible changes to the bottom bar, menus, and buttons, adoption of iOS APIs, and a cautious rollout to ensure performance and accessibility. Timelines remain to be finalized, but the direction is clear, and integration with iOS design is gaining momentum.