It feels like it has taken years of users begging for a feature that many texting apps already offer, but Google Messages has finally been updated to include chat themes.
Google announced the big update at the end of August, noting that users would now be able to change both the background in Google Messages chats as well as the color of messaging bubbles for individual RCS chats.
Google is making some big changes to Google Messages in 2026; however, users have still been missing basic customization features.
And while it might not be the most missed Samsung Messages feature, being able to add a flair of customization to your chats is a welcome addition, and one that Google has been falling behind on.
Additionally, Google says chat themes require you to use RCS messaging, though if you're using Google Messages, the chances are you already have the feature turned on, since it's on by default if your carrier supports it.
It feels like it has taken years of users begging for a feature that many texting apps already offer, but Google Messages has finally been updated to include chat themes. Google announced the big update at the end of August, noting that users would now be able to change both the background in Google Messages chats as well as the color of messaging bubbles for individual RCS chats.
Google is making some big changes to Google Messages in 2026; however, users have still been missing basic customization features. While they have been able to change the colors of their chats for a while now, that customization might have felt thin compared to the options found in Samsung Messages. And while it might not be the most missed Samsung Messages feature, being able to add a flair of customization to your chats is a welcome addition, and one that Google has been falling behind on. Thankfully, that is now changing, so users who were disappointed with its lack of customization can rest easy now. There are a couple of things to keep in mind, though.
For starters, the changes are only visible to the user themselves. That means, unlike Google's chat colors — which changed the color of the chat for everyone — the new chat theme customization options will only be visible on the device of the person who sets them. Additionally, Google says chat themes require you to use RCS messaging, though if you're using Google Messages, the chances are you already have the feature turned on, since it's on by default if your carrier supports it.
