Unlocking Personalized Chat: A Guide to Custom Themes in Google Messages Today

Google Messages has long been regarded as a reliable messaging app, although it was missing certain essential features until recently. One notable addition has been the introduction of custom chat themes, which began rolling out in late August 2026.

As someone who enjoys personalizing my Android device, the absence of chat themes in Google Messages has been quite frustrating. Thankfully, they are finally here.

If you’re a Google Messages user eager to enhance your chats, here’s what you need to know.

To start, make sure your Google Messages app is up to date. You can check for updates in the Play Store by tapping your profile icon, selecting “Manage apps & device,” and looking under “Updates available.” If an update is pending for Google Messages, simply tap the “Update” button.

Chat themes are available on my Pixel 11 Pro running the Google Messages app version 20260824_01_RC00. Note that I am using the latest beta version, but these themes are functional on both stable and beta releases.

Additionally, chat themes will only work if RCS is enabled within the app. To verify this, open Google Messages, tap your profile icon, go to “Messages settings,” tap “RCS chats,” and confirm that “Turn on RCS chats” is activated.

Now let’s dive into the steps for customizing your chat themes:

1. Launch Google Messages.
2. Select a conversation.
3. Tap the three dots in the upper right corner.
4. Select Chat theme.

That’s really all there is to it—it’s quite straightforward!

From this menu, you have various customization options starting with chat colors. The default option corresponds either to your system accent color or a selected chat wallpaper. There are also eight additional styles available. Adjusting the color alters your conversation background, chat bubbles, and several other UI elements, including the voice recorder button.

The most significant addition is the wallpaper feature. You can choose from several pre-selected images provided by Google, categorized into themes like Animals, Architecture, Landscapes, and Space. Alternatively, tapping “Choose a photo” allows you to pick any image saved on your device or from Google Photos to use as your chat background.

Keep in mind that any changes you make will only be visible on your device; the person or group you’re chatting with will not see your selected colors or wallpaper.

Enjoy personalizing your chat experience!