WhatsApp's Liquid Glass redesign finally arrives on the Mac app

WhatsApp has begun rolling out its redesign inspired by Apple's Liquid Glass visual language for the Mac app, finally bringing the desktop experience closer to what iPhone and iPad users have been seeing for months. According to WABetaInfo, the update is being deployed through the latest version available on the Mac App Store and, for now, is reaching only a limited number of users, with a gradual expansion expected over the coming weeks.

The change does not introduce new messaging features or artificial intelligence tools. It is, above all, a visual refresh: a revamped interface with redesigned navigation elements, updated menus and a cleaner design more in keeping with Apple's most recent software aesthetic.

Among the specific changes, a redesign of the sidebar stands out to better organize conversations and navigation, along with a visual update of the chat bar and the attachment menu. Dedicated sections for Locked Chats and Communities have also been added. Until now, in the Mac app, locked conversations appeared mixed in with the rest of the chats; with the update they now have their own section and require authentication to access, matching the privacy experience that already existed on iPhone. Communities, for their part, are now accessible directly from the sidebar instead of being hidden within the main chat list.

The rollout of Liquid Glass in WhatsApp has been gradual: the company began testing it on iOS last October before expanding it more broadly earlier this year. The Mac app had already received some visual tweaks last month, but this new update is the first to unify all those changes into a coherent experience.

Although it may seem like a simple cosmetic makeover, the article stresses that design consistency across devices has become as relevant as the launch of new features. More and more users spend as much time chatting from the Mac as from their phone, whether for work, family conversations or community groups, and a desktop app visually different from its mobile version can create a sense of discontinuity when switching devices. Apple has made interface consistency a priority in its latest operating systems, encouraging developers to build recognizable experiences regardless of the screen used, and the WhatsApp redesign for Mac follows that direction by treating the desktop app as a natural extension of the iPhone and iPad versions, rather than as a separate product.

The update also suggests that Meta continues to invest in WhatsApp's desktop experience at a time when messaging platforms are expected to offer the same features, security and polish across all devices. As the rollout reaches more users in the coming weeks, Mac owners will be able to count on an app that will feel less like a desktop companion and more like a natural continuation of the WhatsApp experience they are already used to on Apple's mobile devices.