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Add Custom Backgrounds to Messages in iOS 26

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Apr 12, 2001
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Apple's iOS 26 finally brings custom conversation backgrounds to the Messages app, letting you personalize your chats with photos, colors, or images generated by Image Playground. Third-party messaging apps like WhatsApp have offered this kind of feature for years, so finally iPhone owners can now also add their own visual flair to text conversations in Apple's stock messaging app.

ten-messages-features.jpg

Custom backgrounds can help you organize conversations at a glance and add a personal touch to your most important chats. You might choose a sunset photo for family group chats, a solid color for work messages, or a fun AI-generated image for conversations with friends. Just note that when you change the background, everyone in the conversation will also see it.

Bear in mind that iOS 26 is currently in beta testing and will see a general release this fall.
How to Change a Messages Background

The following steps show you how to customize any conversation background in iOS 26:
  1. Open Messages on your iPhone, then tap the conversation you want to customize.
  2. Tap the contact name or group name at the top of the conversation, then tap Backgrounds.
    messages-chat-backgrounds1.jpg

    Choose from the available options: Photo (select an image from your photo library), Color (pick from preset solid colors), or Playground (describe an image for Image Playground to generate it). Alternatively, choose from Sky, Water, Aurora, or one of the Suggestions.
  3. Swipe left and right to preview the available Styles.
  4. Tap the top-right check button to apply your selection.
    messages-chat-backgrounds2.jpg
How to Reset to Default Background

If you want to return to the standard Messages background:

  1. Open the conversation with the custom background, then tap the contact name or group name at the top.
  2. Tap Backgrounds.
  3. Tap the None option, foremost in the selection screen, then tap the back arrow to confirm.
Tips for Better Backgrounds

Choose backgrounds that don't interfere with text readability. Dark photos work well with light text bubbles, while lighter backgrounds pair better with dark text. iOS 26 automatically adjusts text contrast, but some combinations work better than others.

messages-backgrounds.jpg

Custom backgrounds sync across all your devices signed in with the same Apple Account, so changes you make on your iPhone will appear on your iPad and Mac as well, provided they are updated to iPadOS 26 and macOS Tahoe, respectively.

Article Link: Add Custom Backgrounds to Messages in iOS 26
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/how-to/add-custom-backgrounds-to-messages-ios/
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Is what they call innovative features? Don’t get me wrong, ALL smartphone manufacturers seem to think adding eye candy bling to their devices is what users want to keep them “excited and happy”. Why do really important and innovative features seem not to impress the common user? How many times have commenters here used the terms “boring” and “uninteresting”? Do they really want more of this superficial nonsense to keep them interested in new models? Custom backgrounds, emoji, texting fireworks, flashing lights, etc.?
 
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jdawgnoonan said:
To me this should never be an operating system level major feature. It is on par with new emojis.
Click to expand...

New emojis are operating system level features, since you need a full firmware update to get them.

I agree, though. Music, Safari, iMessage, etc., should really be broken out as individual app store apps, that can be updated separately from the OS. Android does that, so you can have an updated browser and message app on an OS/phone that lost support years prior.

lkrupp said:
Is what they call innovative features? Don’t get me wrong, ALL smartphone manufacturers seem to think adding eye candy bling to their devices is what users want to keep them “excited and happy”. Why do really important and innovative features seem not to impress the common user? How many times have commenters here used the terms “boring” and “uninteresting”? Do they really want more of this superficial nonsense to keep them interested in new models? Custom backgrounds, emoji, texting fireworks, flashing lights, etc.?
Click to expand...

I'm looking forward to it simply because it's quicker at a glance to see who your messaging. I message so many people here at work, about very similar topics, it's hard to keep them straight. Visual cues like this will help me. I won't be using sunsets, but I will probably use different colors.
 
WarmWinterHat said:
New emojis are operating system level features, since you need a full firmware update to get them.
Click to expand...
Valid point, but I find it goofy that they get really any spotlight at all. I do wish that Apple updated their apps separately from the OS like Android does. For me, for this feature to get the spotlight must mean that Apple spent hours upon hours tweaking this to perfection and honestly it does not seem like a feature that deserved many hours.
 
lkrupp said:
Is what they call innovative features? Don’t get me wrong, ALL smartphone manufacturers seem to think adding eye candy bling to their devices is what users want to keep them “excited and happy”. Why do really important and innovative features seem not to impress the common user? How many times have commenters here used the terms “boring” and “uninteresting”? Do they really want more of this superficial nonsense to keep them interested in new models? Custom backgrounds, emoji, texting fireworks, flashing lights, etc.?
Click to expand...
Why do you care what someone else does on their iMessage background, is what I want to know? You want it vanilla, leave it vanilla. That's more or less that I do, myself. But it also affects me exactly 0% if someone else glitzes out their UI. There's already plenty of corny junk in iOS I couldn't give two ****s about (Genmoji, Memoji) and there's stuff I find fun, like the fireworks or confetti effects. So sue me.
 
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ignatius345 said:
Why do you care what someone else does on their iMessage background, is what I want to know? You want it vanilla, leave it vanilla. That's more or less that I do, myself, and it affects me exactly 0% if someone else glitzes out their UI.
Click to expand...
My understanding is that if the person you're messaging changes the background, it also syncs to your view.

Certainly, when I've been playing with it (with people who are on iOS 18, so aren't affected - yet), there's a message sent to the chat that I've changed the background.
 
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adrianlondon said:
My understanding is that if the person you're messaging changes the background, it also syncs to your view.

Certainly, when I've been playing with it (with people who are on iOS 18, so aren't affected - yet), there's a message sent to the chat that I've changed the background.
Click to expand...
Interesting, but still I don't get the uproar myself. If someone changed it to something illegible I'd just change it back or make a joke about how I'm too old for this **** ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
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adrianlondon said:
My understanding is that if the person you're messaging changes the background, it also syncs to your view.

Certainly, when I've been playing with it (with people who are on iOS 18, so aren't affected - yet), there's a message sent to the chat that I've changed the background.
Click to expand...

That is a bit annoying. FB messenger works like that.

There is no way to disable them on your side without affecting the other person?
 
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I actually think this will be pretty nice to have. Now they just need to let us choose whatever bubble color we want.
 
These are all so ugly I can’t even believe people use them 😂

FlavorfulTreat said:
2025. Better late than never! Can't wait for the marketing apparatus to be turned loose on this GROUNDBREAKING NEW FEATURE, YOU'RE GONNA LOVE IT.
Click to expand...

Apple advertising a new feature doesn’t imply they think it’s “groundbreaking.” Sometimes—often!—a new feature is just a new feature.

adrianlondon said:
Looks great! Legibility is overrated. (MacOS 26)

View attachment 2527719
Click to expand...

1752163345851.png
 
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I honestly can't tell if the comments defending Apple for taking this long to add something so basic to such an important app are serious or snark. I'm sorry, but if you are defending Apple and not mocking them for this, congratulations. You are the Apple Fanboy World Champion.
 
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