How to set custom wallpapers for chat in Whatsapp
WhatsApp is an exceptionally popular messaging app used for both personal and work conversations. Setting a custom WhatsApp chat wallpaper for each conversation gives it a distinct look — making it easy to personalise individual threads and tell them apart at a glance.
To keep work and personal messaging threads separate, you can use wallpapers as visual indicators that will give away what sort of chat thread you’ve selected if you happen to miss the name.
How to Set a WhatsApp Chat Wallpaper on Android and iPhone
WhatsApp has always allowed users to change the chat background i.e. chat wallpaper, but the change used to apply uniformly — everyone got the same wallpaper across all threads. Not anymore though.
WhatsApp now allows users to set custom wallpapers in WhatsApp for each individual chat thread. This feature has rolled out to all users via the official WhatsApp app update and it is available on both iOS and Android versions.
Change the WhatsApp Chat Wallpaper per Individual Chat
You can set a custom wallpaper for any individual or group chat thread on WhatsApp. The steps differ slightly between Android and iPhone, so follow the instructions for your device below.
On Android:
- Open WhatsApp.
- Open the chat thread you want to change the wallpaper for.
- Tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner, or tap the chat header (contact or group name), depending on your build.
- Tap Wallpaper or Chat theme.
- Choose a built-in wallpaper, a solid color, or pick your own photo from your gallery.
- Use the slider to adjust the brightness or dimming of the wallpaper.
- Tap Set to apply it to that chat.
On iPhone:
- Open WhatsApp.
- Open the chat thread you want to change the wallpaper for.
- Tap the contact or group name at the top to open the chat info screen.
- Tap Wallpaper & Sound.
- Tap Choose a New Wallpaper.
- Select a built-in wallpaper or choose a photo from your library.
- Use the slider below the preview to make it brighter or darker.
- Tap Set to apply the wallpaper to that chat.
This works for both individual and group chats. Any WhatsApp chat wallpaper you set per-chat will only affect that specific thread, leaving all other conversations untouched.
Change Default Wallpaper for All Chats
If you’d like to change the default WhatsApp chat wallpaper for all chats at once, you can do that without updating each thread individually. Keep in mind that the default wallpaper applies only to chats that do not already have a custom per-chat wallpaper set.
Changing the global wallpaper will not overwrite any chat where you have already chosen an individual wallpaper. To reset those, you would need to update each one separately.
On Android:
- Open WhatsApp.
- Tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
- Tap Settings.
- Tap Chats.
- Tap Chat Wallpaper.
- Choose your preferred wallpaper and tap Set. It will be applied to all chats that do not have a custom wallpaper already set.
On iPhone:
- Open WhatsApp.
- Go to the Settings tab (bottom-right corner).
- Tap Chats.
- Tap Chat Wallpaper.
- Choose your preferred wallpaper and tap Set. It will be applied to all chats that do not have a custom wallpaper already set.
Set Different Custom Wallpapers in WhatsApp for Light and Dark Mode
WhatsApp lets you set a separate WhatsApp chat wallpaper for light mode and dark mode, so your chat backgrounds can match whichever theme your device is currently using. To do this, you need to switch into each mode and set the wallpaper while that mode is active. Here is the exact sequence to follow:
- Enable dark mode on your device first.
- Open WhatsApp and go to Settings > Chats > Chat Wallpaper.
- Choose and set the wallpaper you want for dark mode.
- Switch your device back to light mode.
- Return to Settings > Chats > Chat Wallpaper in WhatsApp.
- Choose and set the wallpaper you want for light mode.
WhatsApp will then display the correct wallpaper automatically depending on which mode your device is in.
How to switch modes by platform:
- iPhone: Dark mode is controlled from iOS Settings > Display & Brightness > Dark.
- Android 10 and later: Dark mode can be enabled from your device’s Display settings.
- Older Android versions: Dark mode may also be available directly inside WhatsApp under Settings > Chats > Theme.
If your device does not support light and dark themes, WhatsApp will appear in the default light theme only and you will have a single wallpaper to set.
