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WhatsApp’s reported softer chat design gives message bubbles more pronounced rounded corners. Some photos, videos and GIFs may also appear without the usual bubble frame, while group and forwarded media keep a small area of sender or forwarding context. The redesign has appeared in beta reporting, but that does not mean it is available to every WhatsApp user.
What is changing in WhatsApp chats?
The main visual change is the shape of message bubbles: compared with the earlier, more compact and slightly rounded style, the newer treatment is more heavily rounded. WABetaInfo’s December 9, 2025 report on Android beta 2.25.36.16 described the bubbles as somewhat taller and more pill-shaped, and said the feature was still in development: WABetaInfo’s Android beta 2.25.36.16 report.
Media may appear without a conventional bubble
In a March 7, 2026 report, WABetaInfo said the rounded treatment covered message types including text and media. Photos and videos could appear without the traditional bubble frame. For received media in group chats and for forwarded media, a small header area remains to identify the sender or show forwarding information. These details are from the reported Android test, not a guarantee that every chat or account will display media this way: WABetaInfo’s Android beta 2.26.10.2 report.
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WABetaInfo reported on March 7, 2026 that the Android redesign was rolling out to some beta testers using WhatsApp beta version 2.26.10.2, with availability limited to some testers in certain regions. That is a staged beta rollout, not confirmation of a general release. BetaNews also covered an Android beta sighting, citing WABetaInfo; its January 2, 2026 update is secondary coverage of a test, not evidence that the design reached all users: BetaNews coverage of the Android beta sighting.
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What about iPhone?
WABetaInfo’s May 13, 2026 report described a comparable iOS design as in development and not yet available for beta testing at that time. It also described frameless photos, videos and GIFs, with information areas retained for group and forwarded media. That historical status does not establish whether the feature is available on iOS now: WABetaInfo’s iOS beta 26.18.10.71 report.
How can you get the softer chat design?
The reports do not establish a setting that users can switch on or a confirmed public-release date. The Android report describes limited availability through beta testing; the cited iOS report describes development rather than beta availability. If the design has not appeared in your chats, the available reports do not indicate a user-controlled way to force it on. Check WhatsApp’s own app updates for changes to your version, rather than assuming that joining a beta will make the feature immediately available.
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Does the redesign make chats easier to read?
The cited coverage describes appearance, not measured effects. It provides no usability study or adoption statistic showing that the new bubbles improve readability, comfort or engagement. The practical difference established by these reports is visual: rounder bubbles and, for some media, a frameless presentation that still preserves context for group and forwarded items.
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