Google Messages is getting closer to livening up your chats with custom backgrounds

TL;DR

• Google Messages shows further signs of progress on letting users set custom themes for chats.
• More work on the back end implements support for custom background wallpapers.
• Messages is also tweaking how users control Smart Reply behavior.

The last days of Samsung Messages are upon us, as the company gets ready to shutter the app once and for all in just a couple months. As the last of those hold-outs consider their options, we’ve been tracking some efforts from Google Messages to spruce itself up with fancy new Samsung-like features, including a way to customize the appearance of chats. While that’s still not ready to go, we’ve found some new signs of progress there, as well as work on a smart tweak to how you configure Smart Replies.

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When we last checked in with Messages chat theming, we saw a number of text strings referencing not just custom colors, but also the ability to upload photos and set custom chat backgrounds. Looking through the new messages.android_20260508_02_RC00.phone.openbeta_dynamic release, we’ve identified further work on that support.