The WhatsApp Liquid Glass redesign is finally coming to Mac after months of waiting
WhatsApp has been slowly adopting Apple’s new design language across its apps, but Mac users have largely been left watching on the sidelines. That is finally starting to change.
The messaging platform has started rolling out its Liquid Glass redesign of the WhatsApp Mac app, bringing the desktop experience closer to what iPhone and iPad users have been seeing for the past few months. The update introduces a refreshed interface with redesigned navigation features, updated menus, and a clean layout that aligns with Apple’s latest software aesthetic. According to WABetaInfo, the rollout started with the latest Mac App Store update and is currently reaching a limited number of users.
The redesign does not introduce new messaging features or AI tools. Instead, it’s focused on visual consistency, an important area as Apple pushes developers to use a unified design language across its ecosystem.
A classic look, now on Mac
The updated WhatsApp for Mac brings several interface changes that make it feel like its mobile counterpart. The sidebar has been redesigned to better organize chats and navigation, while the chat bar and attachment menu have also received a visual refresh. Another practical improvement is the addition of dedicated discussion sections and Locked Communities.
Previously, locked chats appeared alongside regular chats in the Mac app. They now sit in their own category and require authentication before they can be accessed, mimicking the privacy experience that already exists on the iPhone. Communities, on the other hand, are now directly accessible from the sidebar instead of being buried within the main chat menu.
The release has been gradual. WhatsApp started experimenting with Liquid Glass on iOS last October before expanding it more widely earlier this year. The Mac app received a few visual tweaks last month, but this latest update is the first to combine the redesign 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 in the coming weeks.
Design consistency is as important as innovation
It’s easy to dismiss interface updates as cosmetic, especially when they don’t introduce title-holding features. But desktop messaging apps have become an increasingly important part of everyday workflow. Many users now spend as much time chatting on their Mac as they do on their phones, be it for work, family chats or social groups. When a desktop app feels noticeably different from its mobile counterpart, switching between devices can feel incredibly awkward.
Apple has made interface consistency a top priority with its latest apps, encouraging developers to create an experience that feels familiar regardless of the screen you’re using. WhatsApp’s Mac redesign follows that direction by bringing its desktop app into line with the iPhone and iPad versions rather than treating it as a separate product.
This update also suggests that Meta continues to invest in WhatsApp for desktop at a time when messaging platforms are increasingly expected to bring the same features, security and polish to all devices. As the release reaches more users in 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’re already used to on Apple’s mobile devices.
