After years, Apple will lastly let iPhone customers set a customized wallpaper in iMessage chats beginning with iOS 26. This long-awaited characteristic is a part of the corporate’s effort to make the Messages app a greater rival to different platforms, together with WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram, Sign, and extra.
This text reveals you the best way to set a customized wallpaper in iMessage chats on iOS 26, together with a bonus perk obtainable to iPhone 15 Professional or newer fashions.
Including customized wallpapers in iMessage is straightforward
Anticipated to be launched later this fall, iOS 26 is at present obtainable to builders in beta, and public testers will quickly have the ability to strive it out too. When you’re working the brand new working system, comply with these steps:
- Open the Messages app in your iPhone.
- In a personal or group chat, faucet the identify of the particular person or group.
- Choose the Backgrounds choice.
- Apple will supply a number of choices, together with Picture, Shade, Sky, Water, and Aurora. Extra choices could also be added sooner or later.
- Relying on the picture you select, you may customise the colour, look, and extra.
One good contact is that prompt wallpapers embody pictures you’ve beforehand shared with that particular person or group, which is a enjoyable strategy to rediscover shared moments.
There’s a bonus for iPhone 15 Professional and newer fashions

If in case you have an iPhone that helps Apple Intelligence options, Apple says you may create a customized wallpaper in iMessage chats utilizing Picture Playground. Right here’s how:
- Open the Messages app in your iPhone.
- In a personal or group chat, faucet the identify of the particular person or group.
- Choose the Backgrounds choice.
- Select Playground.
- Picture Playground will launch, the place you may create a customized background by describing it, utilizing options, and extra.
Wrap up
It has by no means been simpler to create a customized background within the iMessage app on iOS 26. BGR will hold bringing you the very best insights on Apple’s newest working system updates.
