WhatsApp is expanding its chat theme options and refining its visual design across platforms, while also introducing new controls for channels and family features, signalling a focus on user customisation and privacy enhancements.
WhatsApp is broadening its customisation options with a set of chat theme changes that move the app further away from its long-standing default look. Reports from Beebom and Android Central indicate that the company is testing a new theme system that divides options into three groups: Featured, Doodle and Minimal. Featured themes are expected to include animated wallpapers, while Doodle will retain WhatsApp’s familiar illustrated backgrounds and Minimal will focus on simpler light and dark designs.
The same reporting says WhatsApp is also adjusting chat colours automatically so that message bubbles match the selected theme more closely. On mobile, some of these theme and background options have already begun rolling out on iOS and Android, with a wider release expected in the coming weeks. Separately, WhatsApp Web is said to be gaining its own custom theme support, including a much larger set of preset designs and the ability to apply one theme globally or per chat.
The company is also refining the Mac version of WhatsApp. According to 9to5Mac, beta testers are being given a choice between the newest build and a more conservative weekly stable version, giving them more control over whether they prioritise early features or fewer bugs. That comes alongside a broader visual refresh across Apple platforms, including the “Liquid Glass” redesign now appearing on Mac and iPad, which aligns the desktop and tablet apps more closely with the iPhone version. Separate reports from 9to5Mac and Mega Mobile Content also say WhatsApp has tested animated message bubbles on iPhone, with a toggle to switch the effect off.
Beyond appearance updates, WhatsApp is changing how it handles channels and family controls. ProPakistani reports that iPhone users will soon see a notice explaining that newly followed channels are muted by default, with an option to switch notifications on. The same report says WhatsApp is working on an AI-generated content label for Channels, allowing administrators to mark posts created with artificial intelligence, which could help with compliance in markets where disclosure is required. WhatsApp is also preparing a dedicated parental controls area in settings, building on the controls introduced in March so parents can set up and link accounts more easily.
Most of these additions are still in development and may not appear at once, even for beta users. That is typical for WhatsApp, which often tests interface and privacy features in stages before wider release. The pattern suggests the company is trying to make the app more configurable without changing its core messaging model: more visual choice on one side, and more structured controls around channels, AI labels and family supervision on the other.
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