WhatsApp has started rolling out its long-awaited Liquid Glass redesign to the Mac app, bringing the desktop version closer in look and feel to the iPhone and iPad experience. The update has been in testing for months, and it’s now reaching users through the Mac App Store.
If you’ve been using WhatsApp on iPhone since last year, you already know the Liquid Glass look: translucent panels, frosted menus, and a lighter, glassier feel across the app. Mac users have been waiting for their turn, and that wait appears to be ending.
Here’s everything that’s changing.
What Happened?
WhatsApp has begun a wider rollout of the Liquid Glass redesign to its macOS app, following earlier tests that adapted a few UI elements last month. The update was first spotted by WABetaInfo, and it arrives through WhatsApp’s latest Mac App Store release.
This makes Mac the last major Apple platform to get the new look, after WhatsApp’s Liquid Glass rollout on iPhone began testing in October 2025 and expanded more broadly two months ago.
Key Details
The Mac redesign touches three main areas of the app:
- Sidebar — Redesigned with a cleaner layout. WABetaInfo notes WhatsApp is working on adding text labels next to icons, not just icons alone, for clearer navigation.
- Chat bar — Now carries the same translucent, frosted look already familiar from the iPhone app.
- Attachment menu — The “+” menu also picks up the Liquid Glass treatment.
Two new dedicated sections are also part of the update:
- Locked Chats — Previously, locked chats sat inside the regular chat list on Mac, without needing authentication to open. That changes now. Locked chats move into their own protected sidebar section that requires authentication before access, matching how it already works on iPhone.
- Communities — Now accessible directly from the sidebar instead of buried inside the chat list.
Why It Matters
This isn’t a features update; no new messaging tools or AI additions are involved. It’s about visual consistency and closing a long-standing security gap. Locked chats being open by default on Mac, without any authentication, was a real privacy blind spot on shared computers. That gets fixed here.
It also fits into Apple’s broader push to get developers to adopt Liquid Glass across their apps as part of macOS 26 Tahoe’s design language, which uses translucent surfaces that reflect and refract light based on what’s behind them.
Availability
The rollout is gradual and limited for now. WhatsApp hasn’t shared a timeline for when it reaches all Mac users, so some people may not see the new interface immediately even after updating through the Mac App Store.
Read Also: WhatsApp Tests Green Dot Online Indicator for iPhone Users
Industry Impact
WhatsApp has been steadily rolling Liquid Glass across its apps, iPhone first, then iPad, and now Mac, as Meta works toward a single, unified look across devices. The Mac update also lines up with WhatsApp’s bigger shift away from being just a phone-number-based messaging app, alongside recent moves like introducing usernames, toward becoming more of a persistent, cross-device communication platform.
Final Thoughts
The Liquid Glass redesign for Mac has taken a while to arrive, but it brings WhatsApp’s desktop experience in line with what iPhone and iPad users already have, plus a meaningful privacy fix for locked chats. If you use WhatsApp on Mac, keep an eye on your App Store updates; the new look may already be rolling out to you.
