WhatsApp is testing a new feature that could let users share their chat themes, wallpapers and bubble colours with other participants in a conversation. The feature is still under development and could eventually work in both individual and group chats.
WhatsApp testing shared chat themes
WhatsApp is working on an option that would allow users to synchronise the appearance of a conversation with other participants. The feature was spotted in WhatsApp for iOS beta version 26.37.10.16 through TestFlight and is not currently available to beta testers.
At present, WhatsApp chat themes are primarily personal. A user can change the wallpaper, theme or chat bubble colour for a conversation, but those visual changes are not automatically applied to the other person’s WhatsApp account. WhatsApp’s Help Center confirms that users can customise themes, wallpapers and bubble colours for individual chats and all chats.
The upcoming feature could add a new sharing option inside the chat theme settings, allowing the person who changes the theme to decide whether it should remain personal or be synchronised with other participants.
Custom wallpapers could also be shared
The proposed feature would reportedly go beyond WhatsApp’s built-in themes. Users could also share a custom wallpaper selected from their phone’s photo library, along with the associated theme and bubble colour.
If the theme is synchronised, the other participant would automatically see the same wallpaper, theme and bubble colour in the conversation. WhatsApp could also display a system message indicating who changed the shared theme.
The recipient would not necessarily be locked into the shared design. According to the current implementation, a user receiving a synchronised theme could change the appearance of the chat later if they prefer a different design.
Feature could work in WhatsApp group chats
WhatsApp is also developing the feature for group conversations. If a theme is shared in a group, members could see the same wallpaper and bubble colour across the conversation.
This could give family groups, work groups and other communities an easier way to use a common chat appearance without every member having to configure the same settings manually.
The feature is still being developed, however, so WhatsApp could change how theme sharing works before a wider rollout.
WhatsApp is expanding chat customisation
The development comes as WhatsApp continues to add more customisation options. The company already allows users to choose themes, wallpapers and bubble colours, including wallpapers selected from their own photos and AI-generated wallpapers in supported markets.
WhatsApp has also been expanding its theme selection. A recent Android beta update introduced categories such as Featured, Nature, Live, Minimal and Doodle, along with separate wallpaper categories including Vibrant and Gradient.
These changes indicate that WhatsApp is giving users more control over the visual appearance of individual conversations while keeping the underlying messaging experience unchanged.
WhatsApp theme sharing is not available yet
The shared chat theme feature remains under development and WhatsApp has not announced a public release date. The current testing was identified on iOS, while WhatsApp has separately been expanding its newer chat theme experience to Android beta testers.
For now, users can continue to customise their own WhatsApp conversations independently. If WhatsApp releases theme synchronisation, users could eventually share a complete chat appearance, including a custom wallpaper and bubble colours, directly with everyone in a conversation.
