You may have noticed: suddenly new messages, your friends' statuses and the plus button for new chats appear in the app in bright green instead of the usual blue. Have you ever wondered what this color change on WhatsApp means? Apparently some people have, because Google searches like “WhatsApp suddenly turned green” or “WhatsApp green instead of blue” have been trending lately.

The background to this color change is an update to the globally popular Messenger app. If you still can't see these changes, you may need some patience. WhatsApp is rolling out the update gradually.

WhatsApp says it chose green to tie the in-app ads to its brand color. Along with the new color scheme, the icons and buttons also get a new look. Additionally, as reported by Messenger, the white space in the app has been increased to accommodate future chat filters.

Android users will notice more changes: the WhatsApp logo will now appear in the Chats tab for some, while the navigation bar will be repositioned at the bottom of the screen.

According to fan blog WABetaInfo, users will be able to choose the accent color according to their preferences in the future. Apart from green and blue, there will also soon be an option to choose between black, purple and red. However, the current version of the app still lacks the functionality to adjust the new green color yourself.

Netzwelt.de reports that if the green color is not to your taste, there are ways to change it in advance.

Users have an option to apply as beta testers on WhatsApp to receive new updates like the color change feature before it is available in the regular app version. However, such beta programs are in high demand and free slots are rarely available.

There are also alternative WhatsApp clients like WhatsApp Plus, GBWhatsApp and Watusi that offer extended customization options. However, WhatsApp warns against using these as they may pose risks such as account suspension and malware.