Latest WhatsApp update brings new icon design to Android
The latest update for WhatsApp includes redesigned attachment icons. This change reflects Meta’s effort for a unified design across all platforms, with Android eventually catching up.
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The latest update for WhatsApp on Android brings a visual change that users may not immediately notice, but it signals a larger shift towards a unified design language across Meta’s apps. If you’ve updated to WhatsApp version 2.25.1.75 available through the Google Play Store in India, or 2.25.1.76 in some other regions like Canada, you may see new icons in the attachments sheet. This feature pops up whenever you tap the paperclip icon in a chat. While the attachment options – Documents, Places, Gallery and Contacts – remain the same, the icons have abandoned their old round design for rounded icons or, say, square icons with rounded edges.
The revised WhatsApp icon has colorful art inside and looks more polished than the earlier design which used solid colors with white line art. This is not just a cosmetic change. The update aligns WhatsApp more closely with Meta’s other platforms like Instagram and Messenger, which already have similar design elements in place.
Interestingly, these design changes were first seen during the development phase of WhatsApp in early 2023. Beta testers got a glimpse of the updated icons in iOS apps before Android users. However, it took almost two years of testing, feedback, and changes before the new icons started appearing in stable builds for Android. If your app is not updated yet, you may want to check the Play Store or manually sideload and install the APK.
While this update may seem small in the grand scheme of things, it reflects a larger effort by WhatsApp towards better integration and stability across its apps. This attachment sheet redesign, along with previous changes like the tabbed bottom sheet for the gallery menu, shows how Meta is polishing WhatsApp to keep it relevant in today’s fast-paced tech world.
The rollout appears to be global, with multiple reports of the update reaching Android users in different countries. Whether you’re in India or Canada, chances are the change is already available. And if not, it’s just a matter of time.
For those interested in testing it out, joining WhatsApp’s beta program on the Play Store can give you early access to new features. Alternatively, APK sites like APKMirror and APKPure also host beta builds, although caution is advised when sideloading apps.