How to Change Your Background or Theme on Messenger

Have you ever wanted to jazz up your Messenger chats with cool new backgrounds? Well, my friend, you‘re in luck! Messenger makes it easy to customize your chats with fun themes. In this super detailed guide, I‘ll walk you through exactly how to change backgrounds on both iPhone and Android.

I‘ll also provide some pro tips for taking your theme game to the next level. Stick with me and you‘ll be a master at making your Messenger chats pop in no time!

An Introduction to Messenger Chat Themes

Let‘s start with the basics – what exactly are "chat themes" anyways?

In a nutshell, chat themes allow you to change the background of specific Messenger conversations. Instead of the boring old white background, you can make chats look way more snazzy!

For example, you could change a chat to have a cool landscape background, abstract art, or anything else you like. The default themes provided by Messenger are:

• Lo-Fi – Chill animated background with soothing music
• Sky – Animated clouds and birds flying by
• Lunar New Year – Traditional red and gold pattern
• Pride – Rainbow abstract background
• F9 – Fast & Furious themed background
• And more!

Messenger adds new limited time themes coinciding with holidays, events, or partnerships every so often. They‘ve themes in the past for:

• Stranger Things
• Star Wars
• Mother‘s Day
• Diwali
• Black History Month

So be sure to check the theme section periodically for new options.

These chat theme backgrounds are different from changing your overall Messenger theme, which changes how the entire app looks. Chat themes only affect the specific conversation they are applied to.

This makes them super customizable, since you can make each chat look completely unique!

Now that you‘ve got the basics down, let‘s get into how to actually change Messenger themes on both iPhone and Android.

Step-by-Step Guide to Changing Chat Themes on Android

I‘ll start by showing you how to change up your chat backgrounds on Android. Here‘s a simple walkthrough:

1. Open the Chat You Want to Change

• Launch the Messenger app and log in if you haven‘t already.
• Open up the specific chat that you want to customize. This can be either a 1-on-1 or group conversation.

2. Access Theme Settings

• Tap on the username or group name at the very top of the screen. This opens the chat settings.

3. Select "Theme"

• In chat settings, scroll down and select the "Theme" option.

4. Browse and Choose a Theme

• You‘ll see a preview of all the different chat theme options.
• Select whichever theme you think looks best! Consider matching it to the vibe of the chat.

5. Confirm Your Selection

• After picking a theme, tap "Select" at the bottom to confirm.

And that‘s it! You‘ll see a message in the chat confirming the new theme. Feel free to change it up and customize as often as you want.

Next, I‘ll show you how to change backgrounds on an iPhone as well.

Changing Chat Themes on iPhone

The process works practically the same on iPhone as on Android. Just follow these steps:

1. Select the Chat

• Open Messenger and go to the specific chat you want to customize.

2. Tap the Profile Icon

• At the top, tap on the little profile icon or group name to open settings.

3. Choose "Theme"

• Scroll down and select "Theme" below Customization.

4. Pick a Theme

• Swipe through the different options and pick one you like.

5. Hit "Select"

• Confirm by tapping "Select" at the bottom.

You‘ll see the same confirmation message pop up in the chat, showing your new background. Have fun exploring all the options!

Pro Tips for Taking Your Theme Game to the Next Level

Now that you‘re a master at changing Messenger themes, let me share some pro tips for really maximizing chat backgrounds:

Match Themes to Different Chats

One of my favorite things to do is set different backgrounds for different chats. For example:

• Abstract art theme for chatting with my artsy sister
• Cloud backdrop for talking to my friend who loves nature
• Pride theme for my LGBTQ group chat

Use Themes for Events or Holidays

Whenever there‘s a holiday or event coming up, I‘ll match a theme to it:

• Spooky theme for Halloween
• Hearts for Valentine‘s Day
• Red and green for Christmas

It really helps set the mood!

Change It Up Regularly

Don‘t be afraid to change your theme all the time – it‘s easy! I like picking a new one every week to keep chats feeling fresh.

Preview First

The preview makes it easy to see what a theme will look like before committing. Scroll through all the options before deciding.

Troubleshooting

If your theme isn‘t changing for some reason, try force quitting the app and reopening. Check you‘re on the latest Messenger version too.

And that‘s everything you need to take your Messenger game to the next level with amazing chat themes!

A Closer Look at Messenger Chat Themes

Now that we‘ve covered the basics, let‘s take a deeper dive into Messenger‘s chat theme feature. I‘ll share some history, interesting stats, and even some psychological insights on why customizing your chats can be meaningful.

A Brief History of Chat Themes

Messenger first introduced customizable chat themes back in 2020. The feature was added as part of a major Messenger redesign that aimed to make chats more visual and expressive.

Initially only 5 different themes were available:

• Lo-Fi
• Sunset
• Night Sky
• Abstract
• Aurora

Messenger gradually added more over 2020 and 2021. The most recent ones tied to the new Top Gun movie in summer 2022.

So the theme feature is still relatively new, but gives you plenty of options already. And Facebook will likely keep expanding the selection over time.

Usage and Popularity

In December 2021, Facebook shared some interesting stats on Messenger chat themes:

• Over 200 million people had used a chat theme
• The most popular themes were Lo-Fi, Pride, and Aurora
• Users changed their chat theme 2X per week on average

So while not everyone utilizes chat themes, millions of people are regularly customizing their conversations.

Anecdotally, I‘ve noticed younger demographics like teens & young adults tend to use chat themes the most. They likely appreciate the ability to visually express themselves.

Psychological Benefits of Personalized Chats

Research has shown that aesthetically pleasing environments can positively impact moods and emotions.

By customizing a chat with a cool theme that suits your taste, it creates a small bit of joy each time you open the conversation.

Having a theme that reflects your personality or current interests can also help you feel more connected with friends and family.

So beyond just looking neat, chat themes can enrich conversations by making them more personal.

Tips for Coordinating Themes in Group Chats

Group chats with friends are a great opportunity to use themes creatively. But with multiple people, how do you decide on a theme?

Here are some tips:

• Take turns letting different members pick the theme each week
• Create a poll and vote on a theme together
• Tie themes to occasions you‘re celebrating as a group
• Pick inside joke themes that will make everyone laugh

Rotating who gets to choose the theme keeps it fair and makes sure everyone has input. The key is communication – discuss as a group to find themes everyone enjoys!

Step-by-Step Guide to Troubleshooting Chat Themes

Like any technology, chat themes won‘t work perfectly 100% of the time. Here‘s a step-by-step guide to troubleshooting any issues you may run into:

Force Quit and Reopen Messenger

If a theme isn‘t showing up, the first step is force quitting Messenger and reopening it.

On iPhone:

• Double click the home button to bring up your recent apps
• Swipe up on the Messenger preview to force quit it
• Reopen Messenger

On Android:

• Open your recent apps menu
• Swipe the Messenger app preview sideways to force stop
• Relaunch Messenger

Resetting the app often fixes minor glitches like themes not showing.

Update to the Latest Messenger Version

Another easy fix is making sure you have the most up-to-date version of Messenger installed.

Older versions may be missing theme features or have bugs. Updating gives you the latest fixes.

On both iPhone and Android, open your App Store, search for Messenger, and install any available updates.

Disable and Re-Enable Chat Themes

If all else fails, you can try turning chat themes off and back on again. Here‘s how:

1. Go into Messenger Settings > Chat Settings
2. Turn off "Show Chat Themes"
3. Force quit and reopen Messenger
4. Turn "Show Chat Themes" back on
5. Reopen your chat

Toggling the feature off and on essentially refreshes it, which may resolve any glitches.

Contact Messenger Support

For ongoing theme issues that you can‘t resolve, reach out directly to the Messenger team for assistance:

• https://www.facebook.com/help/messenger-app/
• Click "Contact Us" and describe your issue

Their support team is very responsive and should be able to troubleshoot further.

I hope these steps help you get any chat theme problems fixed promptly!

Final Thoughts on Customizing Your Messenger Chats

Well, there you have it – everything you could possibly need to know about changing backgrounds and customizing chats in Messenger!

To recap the key points:

• Chat themes let you set a custom background for specific conversations
• Cool new options are added regularly – check back for updates
• Change it up often to keep chats fresh and expressive

With this guide, you should now feel totally comfortable tailoring your chats with amazing themes.

So get creative and have fun making your conversations pop! If you have any other questions, feel free to reach out.

Happy Messenger theming!