[REVISION HISTORY]

Google Messages customization and group chat bug

Updated 2 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-08-31 23:39 UTC → 2026-09-01 20:06 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Google has officially launched the Chat Themes feature for Google Messages on Android, expanding on previous personalization capabilities. This update allows users to customize the aesthetics of individual conversations by selecting specific message bubble colors and backgrounds. Users can choose from preset categories like Animals, Landscapes, and Space, or upload personal photos from their device gallery. The application is designed to automatically adjust message bubble color palettes to complement the selected wallpaper. These visual changes are private to the user and do not affect the recipient’s interface. To utilize these customization options, the Rich Communication Services (RCS) protocol must be enabled. This rollout continues as Google Messages is positioned to replace Samsung Messages as the standard messaging application on the Android platform. Alongside the feature rollout, technical issues have emerged regarding group chats. Users have reported a bug where group conversations split into multiple, disconnected threads. In these cases, new messages from participants trigger the creation of new conversations that lack previous message history. Google has acknowledged this issue and is requesting that affected users provide feedback directly through the app to assist in troubleshooting efforts. Recent developments in beta testing indicate a redesign of the pinned chat interface, which will feature circular profile bubbles similar to Apple iMessage. However, this redesign includes a significant change: the maximum number of pinned conversations is being reduced from 20 to six.

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