WhatsApp said the updates represent a huge effort from a multidisciplinary team of designers. Picture: iStock
WhatsApp has released a refreshed design for both iOS and Android apps for a more streamlined look, while also introducing a new “darker dark mode”.
Users of the social media platform will notice a new colour palette and other changes that make the experience of using WhatsApp on both platforms more seamless.
Idit Yaniv, VP, Head of WhatsApp Design at Meta said the company’s design philosophy builds on its product principles of keeping WhatsApp “simple, reliable and private”.
The messaging app introduced a new, consistent green palette within the app for a unified experience.
“We considered over 35 different colour iterations, ultimately aligning with WhatsApp’s iconic green and opting for a palette that allows for harmonious colour pairings throughout the app. We also increased the usage of neutral colours, enabling us to be more selective about where and how the green is used.”
As a result, things like notification badges and buttons will now appear in green. On Android, the tab bar has been moved to the bottom of the screen, making the app more similar to the iPhone version.
“We also heard that people wanted a darker dark mode. We focused on higher contrast and deeper tones to reduce eye strain in low-light environments. We’re making it one shade darker for improved visual appeal and legibility.”
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WhatsApp has also updated its icons to a rounded, outlined style and, to match the new iconography, it also refreshed the illustrations and added animation for a more playful aesthetic.
“We’re also refreshing the original default background in chats. We learned most people used the doodle, but there was an opportunity to make this even more unique and more related to everyday conversations.
“Our team reviewed every piece of artwork in the doodle and explored new options that were simple in style and better represented a diverse set of people and objects.”
Sending photos and videos on iOS is now also easier with a new attachment layout. Instead of a full screen menu, WhatsApp added an expandable tray that allows you to see the features more clearly when sending media, polls, documents and more.
WhatsApp recently introduced chat filters that help you focus on and find important conversations faster.
The company said moving the navigation bar on Android to the bottom allowed them to design filters to be at the top of the chats list, so people can quickly find the right conversations without scrolling through their full inbox.
Now, you can select between unread and group filters with just a tap to catch up on missed messages or your favourite group chats.
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