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Freedom251 › Blog › Android

WhatsApp Is Testing Two New Chat Bar Designs for Android Users

By Freedom251 Team · · 2 min read

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WhatsApp is testing two redesigned chat bars in Android beta version 2.26.41.11, but neither layout is available to beta testers yet. Both concepts move the message field above the emoji control and bring the circular send button inside the chat bar. WhatsApp has not announced which design it will choose or when either version will reach the public.

What WhatsApp is changing

According to a WABetaInfo report published October 17, 2026, WhatsApp is developing two alternative chat-bar layouts for Android. The company is comparing the arrangements before deciding whether, and in what form, to release the redesign.

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The central change is shared by both concepts: the text-entry field sits at the top of the chat bar, directly above the emoji-keyboard button. The circular send control is also integrated into the bar rather than sitting as a separate control outside it. WhatsApp may still refine these details before a final rollout.

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The two layouts explained

Design one: familiar controls with an integrated send button

The first concept keeps the emoji button on the right side. Attachment and camera controls remain on the left, positioned beside the send button. This preserves much of the familiar control arrangement while placing the send action within the bar itself.

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Design two: a more minimal right side

The second concept groups the emoji, attachment and camera controls on the left. The right side contains only the send button, producing a cleaner and more minimal arrangement. Users who prefer a single, visually dominant action on the right may find this layout easier to scan, while people accustomed to the current positioning would face a larger adjustment.

Feature Design one Design two
Text field At the top of the chat bar At the top of the chat bar
Emoji control Right side Left side
Attachment and camera Left side, beside send Left side with emoji
Send button Inside the bar, alongside left-side controls Inside the bar, alone on the right
Overall character Closer to the current arrangement More minimal

Can you try the redesigned chat bar now?

No. The feature is still under development and is not enabled for beta testers in Android beta update 2.26.41.11. Installing that beta version therefore does not provide access to either design. Screenshots or reports of the concepts should not be treated as evidence that the interface is available on a particular phone.

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When will the new WhatsApp chat bar be released?

There is no announced public release date. WhatsApp is testing two versions rather than confirming a finished feature, and the company could select one, revise both, or decide not to ship the redesign. A test appearance also does not establish that the interface will reach stable Android builds, or that it will arrive simultaneously in every region.

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What the test does—and does not—tell us

The reported work indicates that WhatsApp is evaluating control placement and visual hierarchy in the Android composer. It does not provide user-count data, performance measurements or formal usability-test results. No attributable statement from WhatsApp or Meta accompanied the report, so there is no confirmed explanation of why the redesign is being considered.

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For now, Android users should expect the existing chat bar unless WhatsApp enables a future test through an in-app or beta update. The practical distinction between the prototypes is how much of the bar remains familiar: design one changes the send button’s position while retaining the emoji button on the right; design two relocates all secondary controls to the left and leaves the send action by itself on the right.

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