Google Messages, the default texting app on most Android phones, is finally catching up to rivals with a feature many users have requested for years: per chat custom themes. As reported by Android Police, Google has started rolling out the ability to give every conversation its own colors and background wallpaper.
What Happened
Google announced on Wednesday that you can now set custom chat themes and backgrounds on Android. According to the company, the goal is simple: "make every conversation feel uniquely yours by customizing the colors and background wallpapers for individual chats." Whether you want a favorite family photo behind your main group chat or a sleek, minimal color palette for a work thread, the choice is now yours.
How It Works
The new customization lets you use either one of your own images as a wallpaper or pick from a preset collection. Presets are organized into categories like Animals, Architecture, Black and White, Cityscapes, Landscapes, Macro, and Space. Your message bubbles automatically adjust to match the color scheme you choose, but you can still fine tune them manually if you want a different look.
Privacy Note
One detail worth highlighting: your theme choices are private to you. If you set a playful theme for a particular chat, the person on the other end will not see it. So you can personalize every conversation without worrying that your style choices will be visible to others.
How To Try It
To personalize a conversation, open Google Messages and select a chat. Tap either the contact name in the top bar or the vertical three dot menu in the top right corner, then choose Chat Theme and pick your colors and wallpaper. You can upload a photo of your own or browse the preset library.
What To Expect Next
The feature is rolling out now, which means it may take a little time to reach everyone. When it becomes available on your device, you will see a red dot appear in the three dot menu as a notification that the option is ready. If you do not see it yet, keep the app updated and check back in the coming days.