Ammon News - WhatsApp is testing a new animation for message bubbles on iPhone, marking the return of a feature that was removed in an earlier update.

The feature was spotted in the latest WhatsApp beta for iOS, available through Apple’s TestFlight program. According to WABetaInfo, the update introduces a redesigned animation effect that makes incoming and outgoing messages appear more smoothly within chats.

Instead of instantly appearing on the screen, message bubbles now fade in and slightly scale up before settling into the conversation. The change is designed to make chats feel more fluid and visually polished.

Unlike the previous implementation, WhatsApp is also adding a dedicated control that allows users to disable message animations if they prefer a simpler experience. The new option appears under Settings > Chats > Animations, where users can manage different animation effects.

The setting joins existing controls for animated emojis, stickers and GIFs, giving users more flexibility over how WhatsApp behaves.

The feature was first spotted in WhatsApp’s Android beta last week and is now being tested on iOS, suggesting Meta is preparing to bring the experience to both platforms.

According to WABetaInfo, the new animation is only available to a few beta testers. As is often the case with WhatsApp beta features, broader testing is expected before a public rollout.

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There is currently no official timeline for the public launch of animated message bubbles. However, with testing now underway on both Android and iPhone, the feature could arrive for all WhatsApp users in a future update.

The move reflects WhatsApp’s continued efforts to refine the messaging experience with small but noticeable interface improvements, while also giving users more control over customisation and accessibility preferences.