WhatsApp has great new options for customizing chats: what you need to know

WhatsApp
(Image credit: Shutterstock / Alex Ruhl)

If you're a keen WhatsApp user, you almost certainly have several chats on the go at once. While it's great to keep in touch with people, bouncing from one conversation to another means that it is all too easy to type a message in the wrong chat.

But now the Facebook-owned company is rolling out a new feature that makes it possible to customise individual chats so they are not only easier to identify at a glance, but also gives you the option of personalising the look of your conversations.

WhatsApp is giving users the option of setting a custom wallpaper for individual chats. This means that it is not only possible to give a chat a particular mood, but also helps to reduce the risk of accidentally sending a message to the wrong group or person.

At the same time, the company is also rolling out a wider selection of wallpapers and adding the ability to have a different wallpaper for light and dark mode, as well as changing the colour of the default 'doodle' backgrounds.

The company share previews of some of the new wallpapers in a promotional video:

Change of wallpaper

The new wallpaper-related options are not the end of the story, however. The company is also making it easier to track down the perfect sticker. You can use text and emoji to search for what you're looking for, or you can simply browse through categories.

In other sticker news, WhatsApp is also adding an animated version of the WHO Together at Home sticker pack, which was introduced to promote coronavirus-related guidelines.

The new options are available in both the Android and iOS versions of WhatsApp. The rollout is starting this week, so you may not see the changes straight away – just hold on and be patient!

Via TechCrunch

Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-Wilson
Freelance writer

Sofia is a tech journalist who's been writing about software, hardware and the web for nearly 25 years – but still looks as youthful as ever! After years writing for magazines, her life moved online and remains fueled by technology, music and nature.


Having written for websites and magazines since 2000, producing a wide range of reviews, guides, tutorials, brochures, newsletters and more, she continues to write for diverse audiences, from computing newbies to advanced users and business clients. Always willing to try something new, she loves sharing new discoveries with others.


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