Apple has added a way to set custom backgrounds for conversations in the Messages app. This feature arrives with iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 following its unveiling at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference. Users can now give each chat its own look to make it feel more personal and to tell at a glance which thread is open.
Requirements for Changing Your Messages Background
To access these new chat backdrops, you must run iOS 26 on an iPhone or iPadOS 26 on an iPad. Devices on older software will not show any background options and will continue to display the standard white page behind speech bubbles. Any change you make will sync across your other logged‑in devices if they too run the new operating system.
Steps to Personalize Your Conversation
To set a new background open the Messages app and load the chat you want to style. Tap the name at the top of the screen to reveal conversation settings. In those settings find and select the Backgrounds tab. You will see a gallery of circular previews along with suggested images. Tap the one you prefer. After you pick an image swipe left or right to shift through color palettes. If the image needs framing use a pinch gesture to crop it. When it looks right tap the action button in the corner to confirm and return to your chat.
Exploring Background Design Options
Apple offers a range of theme types to match any mood. You can choose from your photo library and search for a specific picture. You can pick from wave‑style gradients that blend two colors. Animated skies show shifts in light and cloud cover. Underwater scenes simulate light patterns on the sea floor. You can watch dancing auroras in preset color schemes. You may even create a scene with Image Playground by typing a description and letting the system generate a fitting backdrop.
How to Remove a Custom Background
In case you want to switch back to default view in iOS 26, just open your chat window and press the name on the top. In Backgrounds, choose the None. The latter option will automatically revert your speech bubbles to the usual white as a background.
The new background feature in Apple is stylish and clear on each message thread. Now you have the tools that allow you to use your brand color match and ingenuously represent the photo of your pet or even the use of a straightforward graduate. Have fun with a new look on your conversations this fall.