WhatsApp is rolling out a redesigned tab bar on iOS that swaps out the familiar Settings gear icon for a new "You" tab featuring your profile photo. The change is arriving with version 26.10.73, which is now available on the App Store.
The tab itself still opens the same account and privacy controls. The main reason for the switch is that Meta is laying the groundwork for multi-account support.
Meta has been developing multi-account functionality for WhatsApp for some time, and the profile tab is a clear step toward that goal. The idea is that users will eventually be able to manage separate personal and business profiles from a single device, tapping the profile icon to switch between them.
In that sense, showing your profile picture in the navigation bar makes it immediately obvious which account is active – an approach that appears to have been borrowed straight from Instagram.
WhatsApp is also testing a default cover photo banner at the top of the profile page, but users can't customize it yet.
Not every user will see the change right away. WhatsApp's feature rollouts are typically gradual, so don't be surprised if your Settings gear hangs around a little while longer.
WhatsApp appears to be introducing a new visual indicator that shows when a contact is online, according to WaBetaInfo.
The feature adds a small green circle to a contact's profile photo when they're active in the app, and which disappears the moment they leave, all updated in real time. The indicator is now being tested for the WhatsApp iPhone app in TestFlight after it debuted on Android...
WhatsApp is developing a first-party cloud storage option for chat backups on iPhone, providing users with an alternative to iCloud for the first time, according to app tinkerer WABetaInfo.
Code found in the WhatsApp beta for iOS (version 26.28.10.16), available through TestFlight, suggests that users will eventually be able to pick their preferred backup destination directly from the app's...
WhatsApp has started rolling out its new username feature, reports WABetaInfo. Some users who reserved their username have started receiving a notification that their username is active, and that they can now use it to send and receive messages to other users without revealing their phone number.
When someone creates a username, WhatsApp will notify people who already have an active chat with...
It's incredibly frustrating how a company like Meta, with every resource available on the planet, still takes like a year to release a stupid update like Liquid Glass to everyone. Why do they think they need to A/B test and roll it out so slowly? Nothing is going to break, it's part of the iOS dev pipeline FFS.
this is somehow to do with apple, or more importantly.... MAC rumours?
Because WhatsApp runs circles around iMessage, especially when it comes to groups. And Apple should try harder to improve arguably its most important app.
Apple's first foldable iPhone, with a book-style design featuring a ~5.5-inch outer display and a ~7.8-inch inner display with a minimal crease down the middle.