WhatsApp's revamped bottom navigation bar is now officially rolling out to Android users of the popular messaging app. According to an announcement from the official WhatsApp X (formerly Twitter) account, this updated navigation bar replaces the previous top navigation bar and introduces a new section called "Communities," while "Status" has been renamed to "Updates." The new layout includes tabs for "Chats," "Updates," "Communities," and "Calls."
While this change has been available to WhatsApp Beta users intermittently over the past few months, with some users experiencing the interface disappearing at times, it has been present on iPhones for a longer period. However, the order of tabs on the navigation bar differs slightly on iOS and does not include a dedicated "Settings" button.
WhatsApp mentions that the new bottom navigation bar is designed to be more accessible, being "closer to your thumbs" and featuring a design that is "easy on the eyes." The updated design aligns well with the recent Material 3.0 design principles and complements devices with heavy Material You theming, such as the Google Pixel series.
Considering the larger size of modern smartphones, this change could significantly improve navigation within WhatsApp, allowing users to access different sections more conveniently. If you are a WhatsApp user, you should expect to see the updated bottom navigation bar rolling out to your device soon. Reports indicate that the rollout is underway for devices running version 2.24.725 and even some older versions.
WhatsApp May Soon Let You Make International UPI Payments
Meta, the company behind the widely-used messaging platform WhatsApp, has been seen working on integrating international payment capabilities through Unified Payment Interface (UPI). As per findings by prominent app researcher AssembleDebug, users will soon have the choice to activate or deactivate this feature directly from WhatsApp's Bank account details page. Enabling it will grant users the ability to send payments to eligible businesses in select countries, with a validity period of up to three months.
AssembleDebug, sharing insights on X, formerly Twitter, revealed that WhatsApp is actively developing a new feature designed to facilitate international UPI payments within India. A preview of the app reveals an upcoming addition to the UPI settings section labeled as 'International payments.'
The tipster tweeted, "International Payments on WhatsApp through UPI for Indian users. This is currently not available for users. But WhatsApp might be working on it as I couldn't find anything on Google about it. Apps like Phonepe, GPay and some others already support this. #Whatsapp."