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To customize an iMessage conversation background on an iPhone, open the conversation in Messages, tap the contact or group icon at the top, choose Backgrounds, select a built-in scene or photo, make any adjustments, and tap Done. Apple’s current iPhone guide says the feature requires iMessage on iOS 26 or later.

Before you start

Apple calls this feature a conversation background. You need an iPhone running iOS 26 or later and an iMessage conversation; Apple says backgrounds can be added, viewed, or changed only when using iMessage. See Apple’s iPhone guide to conversation backgrounds.

If the Backgrounds option is missing, check that the conversation uses iMessage and that the iPhone meets the iOS version requirement. Apple’s guide does not list every possible reason the option may be absent.

Change a conversation background

  1. Open Messages and enter the conversation you want to customize.

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  2. Tap the contact or group icon at the top of the conversation, then tap Backgrounds.

  3. Choose a built-in background or select a photo, as described below.

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  4. Make any adjustments, then tap Done to apply the background.

Choose a built-in scene or your own photo

Use a dynamic background

Choose Color, Sky, Water, or Aurora. Swipe left to browse the available choices. With Color, use the corner swatches to adjust the colors.

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Use a photo

Tap Photo and select an image from your photo library. Pinch to crop it. Swipe left to choose Black & White, Duotone, or Color Wash; for the latter options, use the color swatch to change the palette. You can also touch and hold a photo someone shared in the conversation, then choose Set as Background.

What other people in the conversation see

A selected background is shared with the conversation: other participants see it and can change it for the group. Choosing None removes the background for everyone.

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To hide backgrounds only on your iPhone, go to Settings > Apps > Messages and turn off Conversation Backgrounds. This changes your local display preference; it does not remove the background for other participants.

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Conversation backgrounds are not message effects

A conversation background changes the backdrop for the chat. Bubble effects and full-screen effects are separate features applied to individual outgoing messages: hold the Send button to choose an effect. Those effects also require iMessage, but they do not set a permanent conversation background. See Apple’s guide to message effects.

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