Since the launch of Android 10 and iOS 13, both with their own system-scale dark modes, developers have quickly created dark versions of their apps. Google Chrome, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter have smart options available, but so far WhatsApp has remained pale and interesting. However, all this seems likely to change.
The dark mode for WhatsApp should be arriving very soon, and although it is not yet available, we have an idea of what the updated application will look like when it will be broadcast on our phones.
What to expect
According to WABetaInfo, which specializes in dissecting beta versions of WhatsApp, app developers are currently working on a dark mode for their iOS and Android apps and are optimizing the new design ahead of its release.
It seems that the new color palette will be mostly dark blue instead of black or gray and it will automatically activate if you have selected dark mode on your phone. The home screen of the application should also be hidden, which will avoid the problem experienced by some applications when a person using the dark mode is surprised by an unexpected explosion of white light.
WhatsApp's sticker and emoticon menus have been updated with dark backgrounds and the developers have been working hard to adapt the app's signature message bubbles to new faces.
We also got to see a handful of other new features with dark mode, including self-destructing messages that get removed after a while. From the screenshots that have been leaked, it appears that you will be able to configure message deletion after a period of between five minutes and an hour.
Rival messaging apps Facebook Messenger, Telegram, and Signal already offer similar functionality. Hence, it is an expected addition from WhatsApp.
The beta versions have also revealed a new option that will allow you to completely hide contact updates in silent mode. Currently, if you disable a contact, their updates are grayed out, but still visible. When the new update is rolled out, you can completely hide them and see them only if you want.
When it comes
We do not know yet; WhatsApp developers seem in no rush to finish and release the app's dark mode, and they haven't revealed when the option will be available yet.
When WhatsApp has finally completed its transformation to black, we will provide full instructions explaining how to enable and launch messages in style.