WhatsApp Tests Fresh Chat Themes and Live Wallpapers for Android: Here’s What Could Be Coming

WhatsApp is reportedly preparing more customization options for Android users, with new chat themes and wallpapers currently being tested in a limited beta release. The upcoming experience could give users greater control over how individual conversations look, including animated backgrounds, nature-inspired designs, minimalist options and familiar WhatsApp doodles.

The feature is not yet available to all Android users. It is reportedly being tested with a limited group of beta testers, which means even users running a beta version of WhatsApp may not immediately see the new options.

If eventually released widely, the update could make WhatsApp conversations considerably more customizable without changing the core messaging experience.

WhatsApp Testing a Redesigned Theme Experience

According to reports, the new customization experience has been spotted in WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.26.37.6.

WhatsApp is reportedly reorganizing its theme and wallpaper selection interface to make different styles easier to discover.

Rather than displaying wallpapers in a single collection, the new theme picker could divide them into multiple categories.

The reported categories include Featured, Nature, Live, Minimal and Doodle.

Each section is expected to provide a different visual style, allowing users to choose a background based on how they want their chats to appear.

Live Wallpapers Could Add Movement to Chats

One of the more noticeable additions being tested is a Live category.

Unlike traditional static backgrounds, these wallpapers could include subtle animation or slow movement. This would give chats a more dynamic appearance without turning the conversation screen into an overly distracting animation.

Reports suggest WhatsApp may also place a dedicated badge on the thumbnail of a live wallpaper. This would help users distinguish animated backgrounds from regular images before selecting them.

The final appearance and selection of Live wallpapers could still change because the feature remains under development.

Five Wallpaper Categories Could Make Selection Easier

The redesigned picker reportedly organizes customization options into five major groups.

The Featured section could highlight selected designs from different categories, making it easier for users to find recommended backgrounds without browsing the entire collection.

The Nature section may offer scenery inspired by forests, mountains, oceans, deserts and other natural environments.

Users who prefer cleaner chat screens could choose designs from the Minimal section, which is expected to focus on simpler backgrounds.

Meanwhile, the Doodle category could feature variations of the familiar illustration patterns that have long been associated with WhatsApp chat backgrounds.

The exact number and selection of themes available when the feature reaches a wider audience have not yet been officially confirmed.

Your Own Photos Could Still Become WhatsApp Wallpapers

Users may not be limited to WhatsApp's built-in designs.

The reported interface could allow people to choose an image directly from their phone's gallery and use it as a chat background.

This would be useful for users who want to personalize conversations with photographs, custom graphics or other images stored on their smartphones.

An AI-powered wallpaper creation option has also been mentioned in reports. If included in the final rollout, it could allow users to generate a customized background rather than choosing only from predefined designs.

Availability of AI-based functionality may vary by account, region and app version.

Change the Wallpaper Without Replacing the Entire Theme

Another useful element of the update is expected to be greater separation between themes and wallpapers.

For example, a user may like the colors and overall appearance of an existing chat theme but want a different background.

Instead of replacing the complete theme, WhatsApp could allow the wallpaper to be changed independently.

This would provide more flexibility for users who want to fine-tune the appearance of their conversations.

Message Bubble Colors Could Match Your Theme

WhatsApp is also reportedly working on how message bubbles appear against customized backgrounds.

The app could automatically choose a bubble color that works well with the selected theme or wallpaper, helping maintain text readability.

Users may also receive an option to manually adjust the color, giving them additional control over the overall appearance of a chat.

This combination of background, theme and message-bubble customization could make individual conversations look noticeably different from WhatsApp's standard interface.

When Will Android Users Get the New WhatsApp Themes?

There is currently no confirmed global release date.

The reported customization options are being tested with a limited number of users through WhatsApp's Android beta program. Beta features are commonly released gradually, so two users running the same beta version may not necessarily receive a new feature at the same time.

WhatsApp can also modify, postpone or remove features during testing before they reach the stable version of the app.

Therefore, Android users should not assume that the new themes and Live wallpapers are already available simply because they have updated WhatsApp.

Stable Rollout Date Still Awaited

The new theme picker could eventually provide Android users with a much broader range of personalization options, from moving wallpapers and natural landscapes to minimalist backgrounds and WhatsApp's classic doodle designs.

Gallery-based backgrounds and potential AI-generated wallpapers could expand those choices even further.

For now, however, the feature should be viewed as an ongoing beta test rather than a confirmed global rollout. WhatsApp has not officially announced when the redesigned themes and wallpapers will become available to all Android users.

If testing progresses successfully, a wider rollout could follow in a future update, giving Android users more ways to personalize their everyday WhatsApp conversations.