This will make WhatsApp easier to use on Android phones with big displays WhatsApp is now routinely adding new features to its platform. While thi
This will make WhatsApp easier to use on Android phones with big displays
WhatsApp is now routinely adding new features to its platform. While this allows it to top our list of the best texting apps for Android, its UI leaves a lot to be desired.
This is despite WhatsApp being among the first Android apps to adopt Material Design in 2015. Since then, though, the app’s interface has only received minor UI improvements.
This could soon change as WhatsApp has rolled out a bottom navigation bar to select beta testers of its app.
The Meta-owned platform was first spotted testing on a bottom navigation bar for Android in early April 2023. Just a month later, the new design is available to some users on the beta channel. WhatsApp already offers a bottom navigation bar in its iPhone app.
However, the Android version uses a tabbed interface, displaying prominent tabs for Chats, Status, and Calls. The Communities option is tucked on the extreme left.
In comparison, the new bottom navigation bar is better (via WABetaInfo), as it equally emphasizes all four options — Chats, Communities, Status, and Calls. It is also in line with Google’s design philosophy for Android apps.
The Communities tab has also been relocated to the right of the Chats tab, displacing the Status option. Given that Communities are bound to gain more importance among WhatsApp users in the long run, this would be a useful change.
Another benefit of the bottom navigation bar is that it helps with one-handed use, especially on phones with big screens.
The bottom navigation bar is a part of WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.10.6.
But since this is a server-side push from WhatsApp, the bottom bar may not appear even if you are running the latest beta build. Since the new layout is in testing, a wider public release should not be far now.
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