WhatsApp updates its app for the Android version 2:12:38, introducing Material Design for the user interface. After enabling voice calls for all users, WhatsApp has finally renewed the interface of the messaging client.

In fact, the latest version 2:12:38 adopts Material Design, already introduced by Google with Android 5.0 Lollipop. There are not yet any news regarding the functionality, but, for the the moment, only those concerning a restyling and new animations. The app can now be downloaded from the official website or, if you prefer, you can wait for its arrival on the Google Play Store.

You will immediately notice the first difference from previous releases as soon as you launch the program. The three tabs (Call, Chat and Contacts) in the menu bar now have the same background, with the same dark green color. When the user makes a scrolling, the menu bar is hidden. A white indicator (bubble-shaped), visible next to the title of the tab, indicates if you have unread messages or missed calls.

A new animation was instead add to the details of the contacts and of the groups. To view the full profile photo just drag it down. If otherwhise you scroll up, the image disappears and the bar takes on the dominant color of the photo. Even the chat window has changed. The box for messages is smaller and you can see to its right a button for voice notes, which becomes a normal submit button, when the user starts to write.

There are also new effects for switching between keyboard/emoticons and the button for the attachements. Other changes are visible when you select the messages and use the search function. The icons in the Other section of the settings were not instead “materialized”.

WhatsApp 2:12:38 will be available on Google store in the coming days. But the most impatients can download and install the APK file (19.6 MB), after activating the option “Unknown sources” in the security settings.

This update is a real turning point, arrived after a long wait, many requests and many unofficial clients who have tried to do the same thing.