Supervisor Elham AbolFateh
Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie

WhatsApp's Verification Icon Switches Hue to Echo Meta Branding


Mon 02 Oct 2023 | 11:53 PM
WhatsApp
WhatsApp
By Ahmad El-Assasy

In a move illustrative of cohesively synchronized branding, WhatsApp, a pivotal communication application, is piloting a color modification for its verification tick for authenticated channels, transitioning from its recognizable green to a striking blue, aligning itself with the parent entity, Meta, according to leak source WABetaInfo.

The shift in hue isn't merely an aesthetic adjustment; it signals a calculated strategic maneuver to harmonize visually across different platforms under the expansive Meta umbrella. WhatsApp consistently undergoes updates and feature introductions, some of which apply across all Meta products, exemplified by the recently introduced Meta AI assistant and AI stickers, also anticipated to surface on Facebook and Instagram.

The latest experimental update from WhatsApp points towards an elevated level of integration within Meta’s ecosystem, characterized by the familiar blue checkmark on WhatsApp channels and businesses that have undergone verification. The screen snapshot elucidates WhatsApp’s blueprint to deploy the “blue verification tick” in an impending app update, assigned to channels and businesses that have secured verification.

This unhurried shift harmonizes with Mark Zuckerberg’s recent proclamation and subtle hints towards a future where companies on WhatsApp can subscribe to Meta Verified, availing verification ticks and privileges such as protection from impersonation and dedicated technical support.

The aesthetic decision to alter the verification tick to blue surpasses mere visual refurbishing. Strategically, Meta aspires to forge a visually consistent identity across various Meta platforms. The blue verification tick, under development for channels and businesses verified, is anticipated to integrate into a forthcoming app update.

WhatsApp officially unleashed the channels feature globally just a few weeks ago. However, the concept of WhatsApp channels has been in the developmental pipeline earlier this year, aiming to furnish users with a private sphere for receiving updates from organizations, sports teams, artists, and public figures they generally wish to follow.

The subtleties of this visual transition embed themselves into a broader strategic narrative, aligning both user experience and brand consistency within a digital ecosystem that spans across numerous social and communication platforms, uniting them under the vibrant banner of Meta.

This not only solidifies Meta’s branding influence across its product range but also serves to underline the collective identity of its various digital spaces, weaving them together through visual and functional echoes that resonate across the interconnected digital landscape.