Google Messages Custom Bubble colors and backgrounds widely rolling out [U]

After previewing in late November, Google Messages is slowly rolling out Custom Bubbles that let you theme the color and background of RCS chats.

Update 4/26: Over the past day or so, many more stable Google Messages users are seeing Custom Bubbles and the color backgrounds in their RCS conversations. To access, go to “Change colors” in the three-dot overflow menu, or:

• For chats with an individual contact: Tap contact name > Change colors.
• For group chat: Tap group name > Change colors.

Update 4/11: Custom Bubbles have started rolling out beyond the beta, and we’ve seen several stable user reports in recent days. However, it’s not fully rolled out yet to those in the preview channel.

Officially, Google explains how “you can select a theme for the background and message bubbles” for RCS conversations.

The support document also notes how the “theme reverts to the default colors, if you:

• Delete a chat with a selected theme.
• Start a new chat with the same contact.”

Original 3/11: Custom Bubbles is just for RCS chats and does not appear in SMS conversations we checked today. Once rolled out to your device, “Change colors” appears in the Google Messages overflow menu. It can also be accessed from the redesigned contact Details underneath the image carousel.

This opens a new fullscreen preview UI with nine options: Default (Material You Dynamic Color), Blue, Turquoise, Purple, Green, Orange, Fuchsia, Pink, and Monochrome.

Your chosen theme applies to almost everything on the screen, including your message bubble, but not the text field (and voice recorder button), which remains light or dark. Meanwhile, it does not apply to the Details page, with Dynamic Color theming in place throughout the rest of the app.

Custom Bubbles are much more apparent when the system Dark theme is disabled. This is also how you’ll notice the RCS background, which — thematically — consists of bubbles. The same pattern appears to be in use across various conversations we checked. It’s rather subtle and doesn’t feel as intrusive as when it was previously spotted late last year.

We’re seeing Custom Bubbles with the latest Google Messages beta today (version 20240228+), but it’s not yet widely rolled out. 

• Related: New Google Messages features that we’re still waiting for

If you set a theme and the other person doesn’t have Custom Bubbles yet, they will not see any change on their phone. In the future, Custom Bubbles will be synced on a per-conversation basis.

Light theme

Dark theme

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