The new functionality should significantly speed up paging through the app.
 |
| (Image credit: Shutterstock) |
With the latest version, Android users now have a convenient navigation bar at the bottom of WhatsApp. The redesigned bottom bar should make it easier to navigate around the app and speed up access to fresh messages and other features provided by the chat app owned by Meta. The upgrade also complies with Android's Material Design principles, so it will look excellent with the rest of the OS.
WhatsApp's New Navigation Bar
For a while, the functionality was accessible in beta. As WhatsApp on X announced, it is now at last making its way to the stable WhatsApp channel. This implies that everyone using the well-known app will be able to experience improved navigation. The bar had a difficult journey to this point; it first surfaced in the app's test channel in June and vanished soon after. It reappeared in September, vanished once more, and only last week, it surfaced in the beta channel.
There's four tabs on the navigation bar. The main features of the program, which include Chats, Updates, Communities, and Calls, may be swiftly switched between. Communities was smaller and less obvious on the previous menu, which placed a greater emphasis on Chats, Updates, and Calls.
android friends, we moved some things around to make it easier to access what you need, when you need it
— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) March 28, 2024
meet your new navigation tools 🤝 closer to your thumbs and easy on the eyes pic.twitter.com/CqLvZf9meo
I agree with WhatsApp when they say that the new bottom navigation bar is "closer to your thumbs and easy on the eyes." Since most programs now go to a bottom-of-the-screen menu, I've become used to using it. The buttons on the bottom of bigger phones make it easier to reach the top of the screen, which allows you to do tasks quickly and effectively.
Users of WhatsApp are already able to use the new navigation bar; thus, make sure you have the most recent version of the software installed on your device.
Latest WhatsApp Beta Features
Additional new features that are coming to WhatsApp have also been noticed by beta users. To identify individuals you might know, for instance, there's a new Suggested Contacts area under the Chats page (as if we don't already get enough messages across the many chat apps).
You may visit the Google Play app store website for WhatsApp to see whether you want to test out the beta channel for yourself and see the newest features. But as of this writing, WhatsApp claims that the beta pool is filled and that it is not taking on any more testers. If you want to check if you can get in later, it could be worthwhile to bookmark that page.