Google Messages gets custom chat themes: How to set them
What's the story
Google has officially announced the addition of custom chat themes and backgrounds for its Messages app on Android. The feature, which comes after a beta testing phase, aims to "make every conversation feel uniquely yours by customizing the colors and background wallpapers for individual chats." The update requires Rich Communication Services (RCS) and allows users to personalize their chats with unique bubble colors and wallpapers.
Personalization options
Curated backgrounds and user-uploaded images
The new feature offers a range of "curated" backgrounds in categories like Animals, Landscapes, and Space. Users can also upload their own images for a more personalized touch.
Once you select a theme, the message bubbles automatically adjust to match the new scheme. However, if you're not happy with it, there's an option to manually tweak the color palette anytime using a top carousel.
Privacy assurance
Chats are private and won't affect the recipient
Google has assured that the chat themes are "private to you" and "only visible to you on your device."
This means users can style their chats without affecting what the recipient sees.
To set a theme, open Google Messages, select a chat, tap the recipient or group name in the top bar or More icon (:) in the top right corner, and then tap Chat theme.
Customization steps
Steps to customize a chat theme
To customize a theme, users have to select a color preset from the palette and choose a wallpaper by uploading one from their gallery or browsing through preset categories.
After selecting the wallpaper, they are taken to a preview screen. Once satisfied with how it looks in the preview, they can tap Apply!
The Chat theme menu also provides an option to "Reset to default."