WhatsApp's Android App Is Getting a Floating Navigation Bar That Shrinks as You Scroll
WhatsApp is rolling out a redesigned floating bottom navigation bar in its Android beta, with rounded corners, no text labels and a circular highlight on the active tab. The bar shrinks to a compact pill as you scroll down and expands again when you scroll up, with a progressive blur behind it. It is reaching some beta testers now, with no date for the stable release.
WhatsApp's Android App Is Getting a Floating Navigation Bar That Shrinks as You Scroll
WhatsApp is redesigning the bottom navigation bar in its Android app. The new version floats above the content, has rounded corners and no text labels, and it shrinks to a compact pill as you scroll down — then expands again when you scroll up. The change is rolling out to some beta testers now, in WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.26.45.5.
It is a small change to a part of the app you use every day, and it is the kind of detail that makes the app feel more modern. But it is still in beta, and there is no date for when it will reach everyone.
What the new bar looks like
The redesigned bar drops the text labels under the icons and replaces them with a circular highlight on the active tab, with a green accent. The bar itself is now a floating pill with rounded corners, separated from the bottom edge of the screen, and it applies a progressive blur to the content behind it as you scroll.
As you scroll down through your chats, the bar shrinks to a compact pill so it takes up less space. Scroll back up and it expands again. The effect is subtle, but it gives the app a cleaner feel and more room for the content itself.
The four tabs
The bar keeps the same four tabs: Chats, Updates, Communities and Calls. That list comes from WABetaInfo, which tracks WhatsApp's beta releases and is the most reliable source for what is actually in each build. An earlier report had listed "Contacts" as one of the tabs, but WABetaInfo's account of the beta is the authoritative one.
The photo at the top of this article shows a WhatsApp chat interface on Android — the chat view itself, rather than the new navigation bar, which has not been captured in a public screenshot yet.
When will everyone get it
The redesign is reaching some beta testers now, in a gradual server-side rollout. That means even beta users may not see it immediately, and there is no announced date for the stable release. WhatsApp typically tests interface changes in beta for several weeks before rolling them out widely, and some beta features never make it to the stable app at all.
For readers who want to keep their WhatsApp secure while the app keeps changing, our WhatsApp security guide covers how to protect your account and privacy.
Why it matters
Navigation bars are the kind of thing you only notice when they change, and WhatsApp's has barely changed in years. The floating, shrinking bar follows a design trend that has spread across Android apps — cleaner, lighter, more space for content — and it suggests Meta is finally giving WhatsApp's Android interface the polish its iPhone version has had for longer. It will not change how you message anyone. But it is a sign that WhatsApp, with more than two billion users, is still being actively redesigned, one small piece at a time.
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