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WhatsApp Unveils Historic Interface Change: The Controversial 'Liquid Glass' Design
🇺🇾 Uruguay /Technology

WhatsApp Unveils Historic Interface Change: The Controversial 'Liquid Glass' Design

From El País · (4h ago) Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • WhatsApp has rolled out a significant visual redesign based on Apple's "Liquid Glass" design language for iOS users.
  • This new interface features transparency and a departure from previous solid visual elements, affecting navigation bars, buttons, and menus.
  • The update is currently exclusive to iPhone users with iOS 26 and is being deployed gradually by Meta.

El País, a prominent newspaper, reports on a major aesthetic overhaul for the messaging application WhatsApp, exclusively for iPhone users. This significant change, driven by Apple's "Liquid Glass" visual language, marks a departure from the app's established look. The new interface emphasizes transparency, creating a fluid and modern appearance that aligns with the latest iOS design principles.

The "Liquid Glass" aesthetic, which has been in beta testing since late 2025, introduces a noticeable shift in how users interact with WhatsApp. Elements like the navigation bar, buttons, and menus now feature a translucent quality, offering a visually distinct experience compared to the more solid graphics of previous versions. This update is integrated into WhatsApp version 26.14.76 and requires users to have iOS 26 installed on their iPhones.

While the update brings a fresh look to the popular messaging platform, its exclusivity to iOS users means Android users will have to wait to experience these changes. The gradual rollout by Meta indicates a careful deployment strategy to ensure stability across devices. This move by WhatsApp reflects a broader trend in app design towards more minimalist and visually integrated interfaces, aiming to enhance user experience through subtle yet impactful aesthetic adjustments.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El País in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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