WhatsApp beta reorganises Android’s bottom bar with Contacts

WhatsApp is testing a dedicated Contacts tab in its Android beta, including version 2.26.45.2, that places saved contacts in the bottom navigation bar and pulls direct chat entry plus online-status visibility into one hub. Instead of going through the usual new-chat flow, some beta users can open a bottom-bar tab to browse contacts, start conversations, and quickly see who is online. The feature is still limited to selected Google Play beta users, and WhatsApp has not announced a stable release date.

Android beta’s new Contacts tab takes over the bottom bar

The main change is structural: contact management moves out of a secondary compose path and into a persistent tab at the bottom of the app. That shortens the path from a saved contact to a chat, since users can open the tab and start a conversation without going through the usual new-chat screen. Favourite contacts can also stay pinned at the top, turning the tab into a quicker launch point for repeat chats instead of just a static address book.

The exact bottom-bar swap is not settled across every beta configuration. In at least some builds, the Contacts tab appears where Communities previously sat, but other configurations appear to displace a different item in the bar. The layout is still changing across beta builds.

Activity sorting, birthdays, and favourites inside the new tab

Once opened, the Contacts tab adds three sort modes: activity, alphabetical order, and birthdays. That gives the feature a more operational role than a simple contact list. Users can keep the list in standard alphabetical order, switch to birthdays for date-based reminders, or use activity sorting when speed matters more than browsing.

Activity sorting is the most practical change in the test. It surfaces online contacts first and marks them with a green dot, then falls back to last-seen status for other contacts when that visibility is allowed by privacy settings. In practice, that can make it easier to spot who is likely to respond right away, while still respecting the visibility controls already set on each account.

The tab also includes a floating action button for adding contacts. Supporting shortcuts for Meta AI and invite options are present as well, including an option tied to inviting Instagram followers, although the invite flow is not fully clear across every beta build. Those additions make the tab more than a directory: it becomes a control point for adding people, reaching frequent contacts, and starting new threads quickly.

Communities moves into a filter, with rollout still uneven

Communities is not being removed outright in this test. In at least some builds, it shifts into a chat-list filter instead of keeping a dedicated bottom-bar position, so users may need to reach it from the filter row rather than the main navigation bar.

The Contacts tab is rolling out gradually to selected users in the Google Play beta program, so even beta enrollment does not guarantee the feature will appear immediately. WhatsApp also has not given a public stable-release date, which leaves two practical unknowns for business users: when the new workflow will arrive more broadly, and which bottom-bar layout WhatsApp will ultimately keep if the test expands.

Disclaimer: This article was created with the assistance of AI. Images are for illustrative purposes only.