Custom wallpapers
Upcoming Google Messages feature. | Image by Android Authority
One of the things that makes Samsung Messages special is the level of customization it offers. After all, why stay stuck with a bland chat window and lifeless message bubbles when you can liven things up with custom colors and backgrounds?Google Messages already lets you do the former. And now, the finishing touches are being put on a custom wallpaper option, per Android Authority.
More options
Restoring the default look will take just a tap. | Image by Android Authority
The current “Change colors” option will apparently be replaced with “Chat themes.” The new option will let you choose a unique color palette for every chat, along with a wallpaper.You will be able to select from a built-in wallpaper gallery or set one of your own photos as the background.
If you realize you have gone a bit overboard, you will be able to reset to the default appearance.
The feature seems to be mostly working well, although it doesn’t play nicely with dark backgrounds just yet.
It will likely be enabled for beta users soon.
Give them something to hang onto
Samsung Messages will officially shut down in the US in July 2026. Devout users have protested, but with Samsung sidelining its app since 2021, the writing has been on the wall for a while.While the magic of Samsung Messages will never be fully replicated for loyalists, bringing similar features to Google Messages should ease the transition.
More work needed
It will take a lot more than personalized wallpapers to cheer up Samsung Messages users. Google Messages is clearly on the case, though.
With the app serving as the default texting app for many Android users, the wishlist for new features is long. But looking at the pace at which Google ships new features, it might only be a matter of time before the company turns its attention to other popular requests.
