Apple released iOS 26 on Monday, a few months after the company announced it at the June Worldwide Developers Conference. The update brings a new Liquid Glass redesign, call screening and lots of hidden features for your iPhone. The update also lets you add backgrounds to your chats in Messages, giving a visual identifier for each thread so you can easily tell if you're messaging the right person or group.
With this new feature, you can make your own picture a background, use one of Apple's premade backgrounds and if you have an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone, you can generate your own unique background.
Here's how to change a chat background in Messages with iOS 26 and what tot know about the feature.
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How to add and change a chat background in Messages
1. Open Messages.
2. Tap into a chat with a saved contact.
3. Tap either the person's or group's name near the top of the chat.
4. Tap Backgrounds.
You could see seven Background options depending on what iPhone you have. Apple/Screenshot by CNET
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