WhatsApp has been steadily adopting Apple’s new design language across its apps, but Mac users have largely been left watching from the sidelines. That is finally beginning to change.
The messaging platform has started rolling out its Liquid Glass redesign for the WhatsApp Mac app, bringing the desktop experience much closer to what iPhone and iPad users have been seeing over the past few months. The update introduces a refreshed interface with redesigned navigation elements, updated menus, and a cleaner layout that aligns with Apple’s latest software aesthetic. According to WABetaInfo, the rollout has begun through the latest Mac App Store update and is currently reaching a limited number of users.
The redesign isn’t introducing new messaging features or AI tools. Instead, it focuses on visual consistency, an area that has become increasingly important as Apple pushes developers to adopt a unified design language across its ecosystem.
A familiar look, now on the Mac
The updated WhatsApp for Mac brings several interface changes that make it feel more like its mobile counterparts. The sidebar has been redesigned to better organize conversations and navigation, while the chat bar and attachment menu have also received a visual refresh. One practical improvement is the addition of dedicated sections for Locked Chats and Communities.
Previously, locked conversations appeared alongside regular chats on the Mac app. Now they sit in their own section and require authentication before they can be accessed, matching the privacy experience already available on the iPhone. Communities, meanwhile, are now accessible directly from the sidebar instead of being buried within the main chat list.
The rollout has been a gradual one. WhatsApp first began experimenting with Liquid Glass on iOS last October before expanding it more broadly earlier this year. The Mac app received a handful of visual tweaks last month, but this latest update is the first to bring the redesign together into a more cohesive experience. WABetaInfo reports that the new interface is currently available to a limited number of users and will expand to more accounts over the coming weeks.
Design consistency is becoming just as important as new features
It’s easy to dismiss interface updates as cosmetic, especially when they don’t introduce headline-grabbing features. But desktop messaging apps have become an increasingly important part of everyday workflows. Many users now spend as much time chatting from a Mac as they do from their phones, whether for work, family conversations or community groups. When the desktop app feels noticeably different from its mobile counterpart, switching between devices can feel surprisingly jarring.
Apple has made interface consistency a major priority with its latest operating systems, encouraging developers to build experiences that feel familiar regardless of the screen you’re using. WhatsApp’s Mac redesign follows that direction by bringing its desktop app in line with the iPhone and iPad versions rather than treating it as a separate product.
The update also suggests Meta continues to invest in WhatsApp’s desktop experience at a time when messaging platforms are increasingly expected to deliver the same features, security and polish across every device. As the rollout reaches more users over the coming weeks, Mac owners can expect an app that feels less like a desktop companion and more like a natural extension of the WhatsApp experience they’ve already become accustomed to on Apple’s mobile devices.
