Not iMessage itself but the app drawer within it. But to be fair iMessage itself isn’t a big thing here in the Netherlands, everyone uses WhatsApp 😓

Wait they used to be transparent?!

I do agree, it feels slightly out of place. However, I think it’s also just something a could get used to easily.

Potential changes due to feedback always take a few beta cycles since it both takes time and Apple is already working on the next beta before we even get the previous one. You could see the same thing and timeline with the Safari redesign.

But this is such a small area of the OS, I don’t see them redesigning it.