WhatsApp for Android gets Material Design makeover, APK available for download

Popular instant messaging service WhatsApp which has rolled out the voice calling functionality to Android users and is set to seed the feature to Windows Phones, is now said to be updated with an all new Android L-like Material Design user interface.

Users wanting to try out WhatsApp's new avatar can download the Application Programming Kit (APK) files which are available for download.

The latest WhatsApp version is applicable to users on Google's Android platform, and according to a PhoneArena report that in turn quotes AndroidWorld Italy, the WhatsApp APKs (as mentioned above) are available for download, in the form of a 19MB sized file bearing WhatsApp version number 2.12.34.

What's new

According to AndroidWorld, users downloading the updated WhatsApp mobile application (via unofficial APKs) get to experience all major improvements that the Material Design UI brings with it.

These include newer animation-styled themes and the fresh status bar along with a brand new look and feel.

Also, Android users, post downloading the app, should be able to resort to voice calling from WhatsApp without the need for somebody else to call them.

How to make voice calls via WhatsApp on Android, conventionally on the current version of WhatsApp

• Download the latest version of WhatsApp messenger for Android (version 2.12.19) from the official website
• Check out for a brand new user interface (UI)
• Verify the presence of a new Calls tab
• Navigate to the new Calls tab, and make calls to specified contacts/friends while chatting or by just browsing through the list of WhatsApp contacts
• Do remember that your WhatsApp contact/friend needs to have installed the latest version of WhatsApp compatible with the Voice Calling feature. Or else, you will receive a customised warning.
• When you call a user who is offline, you will hear the phone ring. If the person you are calling does not pick up, they will receive a missed call notification