WhatsApp is rolling out a new update through the Google Play Beta Program, bringing the version up to 2.23.13.17.
What’s new in this update? WhatsApp is working on a darker top app bar, and it will be available in a future update of the app!
| Common questions | Answers |
|---|---|
| Name of the feature? | Darker top app bar |
| Status? | Under development |
| Availability? | WhatsApp is working on bringing a darker top app bar to a future update of the app. |
| I’ve installed this update but I don’t have this feature. Why? | This feature is under development so it is not ready to be released to beta testers, but you can discover a preview in this article. |
| Previous news? | WhatsApp news of the week: swipe between tabs, new interface for iOS and Android! |
DARKER TOP APP BAR
In the article about the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.13.16 update, we posted some information regarding a new interface for the app that includes a white top app bar. With this change, WhatsApp hopes to further align its application with the style of Material Design 3, and it seems they also want to add a sense of modernity to the theme, which has not received updates for this interface for many years. The feature is still in development but, thanks to the latest WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.13.17 update, which is available on the Google Play Store, we discovered that WhatsApp also plans to introduce changes for the top app bar while using the dark theme:
As you can see in the attached screenshot, it is clear that there are evident differences between the current version and the one that will be released in the future, built based on the data provided by the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.13.17 update. The top app bar is really darker compared to the one we usually see when we open WhatsApp, offering further evidence of their commitment to improving the interface of the app.
Despite this being a change appreciated by many users, we see there are some people who still believe that WhatsApp should offer a new type of dark theme for the Android app, similar to the one available in WhatsApp for iOS. For more advanced mobile phones with an AMOLED screen, an even darker theme based on grayscale and the black color could provide great results in terms of performance, as well as being more aesthetically pleasing. Although this feature is currently under development, leading to the possibility of additional enhancements to the theme, it is important to note that we have not found any evidence suggesting further improvements, specifically regarding an even darker theme, but only time and other future updates will say.
Note that we also shared a concept on Twitter regarding a new light theme based on user feedback that’s also inspired by the interface of the iOS app, and the top app bar spotted through the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.13.16 update, but we also posted a concept about a revised dark theme: give them a look and let us know on Twitter by sharing a comment!
The darker top app bar is under development and it will be released to beta testers in a future update of the app. However, we plan to post an additional article when we have further information about this change to share with you.
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