Summary: WhatsApp is already tweaking the redesigned floating navigation bar it started testing on Android last week. The latest beta version removes the text labels under the icons, leaving just the icons in a more minimal bar. The feature is still under development.
WhatsApp is moving fast with its redesigned navigation bar on Android. Just days after the floating bar with rounded corners was first spotted, the company is already testing a new version of it, and this time, the text labels are gone.
WhatsApp Tests a Label-Free Navigation Bar on Android
According to the WABetaInfo’s report, the latest WhatsApp beta for Android 2.26.39.10 includes a version of the floating bar that shows only icons, with no text underneath for the Chats, Communities, Updates and Calls tabs. The overall shape is still the same, with the floating design and rounded corners from the earlier version.
However, the bar now looks noticeably wider since WhatsApp has reduced the padding between the bar and the screen edges. The company might have done it because most people already know what each icon means, so the text underneath is not really adding much. Without the labels, the bar looks lighter and less cluttered.
That said, labels do help newer users figure out which tab is which, so WhatsApp could still bring them back in the final version. This design is still under development and has not been enabled for beta testers. So we can expect this change to reflect for everyone in a couple of months.
