WhatsApp is giving iPhone users more ways to personalize their chats with new visual customization options.
Features like new chat themes and animated wallpaper will be part of the messaging platform’s messaging experiences, which will bring more movement and color to the familiar chat interface.
The update builds on WhatsApp’s earlier chat themes that let users change the color and background of chat bubbles and wallpapers.
Users can choose from pre-set designs or customize their chats with different colors and wallpapers. WhatsApp also has options to make conversations look different within the app rather than using the same design throughout the whole chat app.
And the latest additions are aimed at making conversations feel less uniform. Rather than having the same static background when a chat is opened, users can have an animated wallpaper and new theme options.
For iPhone users, the changes are especially meaningful as they can personalize their messaging experience.
A personal chat can have one look, while a family or group conversation can use a completely different theme. The customization is visible only to the person who applies it, so other people in the conversation don’t see the same theme.
WhatsApp has been slowly adding personalization features as it competes with other messaging platforms.
A few updates have been made on iOS and Android in recent months, from AI-powered creative tools to Live Photos support for iPhone, and video call backgrounds and even sticker options.
The company is also bringing artificial intelligence into the customization experience. WhatsApp’s Help Center says users can create AI-generated images for chat themes and wallpapers by describing what they want.
The feature can also be used to restyle generated images before they are applied to a chat. Meta AI features may be available in different countries and accounts.
For those who want to try the customization tools, WhatsApp offers theme settings for the app's appearance and chat features.
The exact availability of new features will depend on the WhatsApp version, iPhone software and the status of the account roll-out.
The update is part of WhatsApp’s larger push to make its messaging experience more flexible and visually engaging.
The general purpose of the app is communication but themes, wallpapers and creative tools give users more control over how their conversations look.
Since there are billions of WhatsApp users around the world, even minor changes in the interface really matter.
The arrival of new themes and animated visuals will give iPhone users more reasons to check their WhatsApp settings and see if the latest customization tools have reached their accounts.
