The messaging app WhatsApp has a new (fully stable) test version that includes some interesting new features. The most important ones are in its design, as these advance the implementation of Material Design leaving Holo aside for good. Therefore, it's worth getting this development, which we'll explain how to do.
The new version in particular is the 2.12.87 and, due to the number of options it includes as new features, we thought it was a good idea to comment on the availability for downloading this trial version —we repeat, stable—from WhatsApp for Android. The fact is that any remaining reminiscence of the Holo design (especially regarding the search interface) has disappeared. That is, Material Design It is now the only possible viewing option.
In addition to the visual cleanup, this build consolidates aesthetic changes that had already begun to be seen in previous versions with Material Design: circular avatars, more integrated status bar, redesigned icons y animations more fluid. It also improves the separation of the main lashes (Calls, Cat y Contacts) for clearer navigation.
Call interface: major visual changes
The call interface suffers major visual changes. Now the dull green background color is much more present and, at the same time, clean; in addition, the excessively bright tones disappear. This allows the contact name is more legible, with a larger font. The phone, speaker, microphone, and message icons have been redesigned, becoming smaller and consistent with Material Design to convey a more organized feel. Likewise, the receive and end buttons call have changed to offer better visibility and clearer touch areas.
Beyond the color, they have been eliminated superfluous lines and underlines in search fields and contrasts have been adjusted to improve accessibility. On devices running modern Android, the transitions between views (for example, when opening a conversation or jumping to the call screen) are smoother, reinforcing the sense of continuity that characterizes Material Design.
More news in the WhatsApp version
Well yes, there is more. An example is that the default chat background is now clearer, so the conversations They stand out better and are read with less effortThe pattern strokes have been retouched to integrate with Material Design. By the way, in this section existing icons also change to be more Material, and the Search bar is now more striking thanks to the use of transparencies.
You will also notice a better differentiation between text field and the voice note button at the bottom of chats; and when you share content, the attachment pop-up window features a clearer design that differentiates by color what you want to send (gallery, photo, video, audio, location or contact).
Another subtle improvement is the debugging of legacy Holo elements: they have been removed old icons in options menus within chats, and the search box underline no longer appears, favoring a cleaner interface. In addition, the set of emoji offers skin tone and gender variations more complete, in line with current standards.
Download
This new version is not yet available in the Play Store, so you will not receive the update regularly. Of course, accessing this link you can enjoy download the APK to install it (as long as your terminal is compatible) and then start the installation process manually.
The process is simple: you just have to click on the APK file downloaded and follow the on-screen steps. To avoid incidents, we recommend:
- make a Backup of your chats before updating.
- Check that you have the option activated "Unknown origins" in Settings > Security to be able to install the APK.
- Always download from the official website linked to ensure file integrity.
- After installing, check that the app starts normally and that your conversations are still present.
There are no risks If you follow these steps, you shouldn't worry about anything going wrong. What do you think of the new features included in this new stable test version of WhatsApp?
Other applications for the Google operating system you can meet them in this section Android Help, where there are options for all kinds of needs.
This version takes WhatsApp to a Full Material Design, removes the last traces of Holo and refines key details in calls, searches, and chats. If you're looking for a cleaner, more consistent interface and want to try it out before it hits the store, the stable beta version 2.12.87 is a highly recommended option.
