How to change your WhatsApp background

Looking to add a little personal touch to your WhatsApp? Guess what: You can change your chat background to anything you want. Here’s how:

1. In WhatsApp, navigate to your settings (the gear icon on the bottom right).

2. Tap “Chats.”

3. On the next page, tap “Chat Wallpaper” at the top.

4. Tap “Choose Light Mode Wallpaper” at the top (or “Choose Dark Mode Wallpaper,” depending on which mode you use WhatsApp on).

5. Choose which category of background you want. You can pick “Bright,” “Dark,” “Solid Colors,” or even a custom photo from your phone’s gallery. Just ensure you’ve given WhatsApp access to your photos in your phone’s WhatsApp settings. The app may also prompt you to do so.

Credit: screenshot / Whatsapp

6. Select the photo you want. WhatsApp will give you a preview image and you can adjust it to your liking.

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7. Tap “Set” on the bottom right. The photo you chose will now appear on all your chat backgrounds.

You can also change the specific chat background for each individual contact. To do that:

1. Select the contact/chat thread for which you want to change the background.

2. At the top, tap the contact’s name.

3. Tap the “Wallpaper & Sound” option, marked by a pink icon.

4. Tap “Choose a New Wallpaper” and you’ll be given the same options as above: Bright, Dark, Solid Colors, or a custom photo. Again, ensure you’ve allowed WhatsApp access to your photos if you want to pick a custom photo from your gallery.

5. Adjust the image to your liking on the preview page.

6. Tap “Set” on the bottom right. The photo you chose will now appear as the chat background for that specific contact.