WhatsApp replaces the iPad tab bar with a Mac-like sidebar

WhatsApp is rolling out a redesigned iPad interface that replaces the app’s bottom tab bar with a Mac-style sidebar for some users, rather than all iPad installs at once. The new navigation is already showing up in TestFlight beta builds and in some regular App Store versions of the app. For iPad users who treat WhatsApp as a working screen, the change is straightforward: core sections move out of the bottom edge and into a layout that looks much closer to WhatsApp on Mac.

The iPad tab bar gives way to a Mac-style sidebar

Until now, WhatsApp on iPad used a bottom tab bar for navigation, following a pattern that is common on phones but less natural on a larger display. The redesign shifts that structure to a left-side sidebar for some users, changing the way the tablet app is organized without turning this into a broader WhatsApp overhaul on other platforms. On iPad, that matters because navigation and conversation can now sit more clearly in separate parts of the screen instead of competing for the same lower strip.

The visual result is a layout that behaves more like the Mac app. Instead of moving between major areas from tabs anchored at the bottom, users get a persistent side navigation model that is better suited to a tablet’s wider canvas. That makes the update feel less like a cosmetic tweak and more like a practical rework of how WhatsApp fits on iPad.

Chats, Calls, Communities and Meta AI move into the sidebar

The new sidebar gives direct access to Chats, Updates, Communities, Calls, Meta AI, and other sections. That means the biggest change is not in messaging tools themselves, but in how quickly users can jump between WhatsApp’s main areas from one consistent navigation column. For people who use the iPad app to monitor conversations, switch between communities, and keep an eye on calls or updates, the app should feel closer to a desktop workspace than a stretched phone interface.

This also brings the iPad app into closer alignment with WhatsApp on Mac, where the navigation structure already leans on a sidebar instead of bottom tabs. The practical payoff is familiarity across devices: users moving between Mac and iPad should see a more similar layout and less friction when switching between sections.

Hiding the sidebar frees up more room for conversations

WhatsApp is also letting users hide the sidebar when they want more room for active conversations. Once it is tucked away, the chat list and the conversation area expand further toward the center of the display, making better use of the extra space available on an iPad. On a larger screen, that is the most obvious benefit of the redesign.

For business users and operators, this is the part that will likely matter most in daily use. A collapsible sidebar means the app can keep broad navigation available when needed, then get out of the way when the focus shifts to reading threads, replying, or scanning a busy chat list. It is a simple layout change, but one that better matches how tablet screens are typically used.

Rollout is already split across beta and stable users

The redesigned interface is appearing in both TestFlight beta builds and some App Store releases, so the rollout is not limited to testers alone. At the same time, it is still partial, and plenty of iPad users may open WhatsApp and see the old bottom-tab layout for now. There is no confirmed timeline for when the new interface will reach all iPad users.

That leaves the near-term takeaway fairly simple: this is an iPad-specific navigation update, not a confirmed cross-platform redesign, and availability remains uneven. If the new sidebar has not reached your device yet, that does not mean anything is wrong with your setup. It just means WhatsApp has not finished pushing the redesign across the full iPad user base.

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