WhatsApp iPad App Gets Liquid Glass Design From iPhone

WhatsApp’s iPad app is catching up to its iPhone counterpart, with beta testers spotting a translucent, layered interface that mirrors what phone users have had for some time. The update brings the Liquid Glass aesthetic to larger screens, where the visual payoff is arguably more obvious given how much interface real estate an iPad exposes at once.

The most visible change is the tab bar. Rather than sitting flush against the screen edge, it now floats above the chat list with a clear, glass-like appearance. The top navigation bar also responds to scrolling, turning translucent as content slides beneath it, and individual buttons animate when tapped. These are the same layered transparency behaviors that define Apple’s current design language across menus and panels system-wide.

The timing is not accidental. Apple has been actively updating its Liquid Glass design gallery with third-party app examples, and WhatsApp’s iPad update fits that promotional push. The chat app adapting to Apple’s UI standards rather than maintaining its own visual identity is a pattern that tends to accelerate when Apple makes the reference material publicly visible.

Other platforms are further behind

For now, the update is limited to a small beta group, and a broader rollout is likely weeks away. That measured pace is standard for WhatsApp, which tends to stage releases to catch issues before they hit the full user base.

The iPhone version, meanwhile, is moving on its own track. WhatsApp Channels on iPhone recently gained a native search tool, a separate quality-of-life addition that has nothing to do with the visual refresh landing on iPad.

Mac users are waiting the longest. A similar redesign for the desktop app, including a new sidebar, is reportedly in early development but has no clear release window.