WhatsApp has maintained its popularity as thebest encrypted instant messaging appin terms of sheer number of users. However, its UI on Android is starting to show its age, and in the10 years under Meta ownership, we’ve seen a fewrevolutionary new featuresand functional changes, but nothing visual. We remain hopeful the small changes will add up, though, and the latest beta takes another step towards this modernization with new icons for the overflow menu options.
What’s up with WhatsApp? Explaining the global messaging titan to the US
WhatsApp is a primary form of communication for a third of the people around the world
Android app developers usually tuck non-essential menu items into collapsible sidebars or drop-down overflow menus. WhatsApp is no exception — It has four core tabs dedicated toCommunities,Chats,Updates, andCalls, and every other item, including conversation-specific options, are accessible through the three-dot icon in the upper right corner of the UI.
This overflow menu lists options such asNew group,New broadcast,Linked devices,Starred messages, andSettings, while in-conversation menu items includeView contact,Search,Mute notifications, and a toggle forDisappearing messages, but both these menus only use text. Reputable WhatsApp feature spotters atWABetaInfo reportthat version 2.23.21.12 of the app is now beta testing icons for this overflow menu.
The screenshots shared reveal simplistic line art corresponding to every option in the menu, with the icon preceding the text. However, WABetaInfo only shows us the overflow menu for conversations, so we aren’t sure if the general overflow menu will receive similar treatment. In any case, the icons make the list more accessible and intuitive to use. You should be able to identify menu items at a glance, and access them a little quicker.
The new icons are rolling out to some beta testers already, with a wider beta rollout on the cards. We hope the wait isn’t too long before we see this intuitive new menu style on the stable channel too.
