Overview
- Google has begun rolling out a new Chat Themes option that replaces the older Change Colors control and expands per-conversation customization.
- The feature adds wallpaper categories and a manual photo picker plus color palettes that match Android’s system-level Dynamic Color scheme.
- Google says theme changes are local only, so only the person who sets a theme will see it while the other participant keeps their own view.
- Reporters and users have spotted Chat Themes for some open-beta participants and on certain Galaxy devices, but the rollout is staged and not yet widespread.
- The update narrows a long-standing feature gap with apps like Telegram and WhatsApp and matters to Galaxy users because Google Messages is the default app on Samsung devices.