WhatsApp appears to be preparing another visual refresh for its conversations, with animated wallpapers and redesigned chat themes currently under development for both iOS and Android.
References found in a recent WhatsApp beta for iOS point to three new theme categories: Featured, Doodle and Minimal. Similar elements had previously surfaced in an Android beta, suggesting the customization system is being developed as a cross-platform feature rather than something exclusive to one version of the messaging app.
The most noticeable addition is expected to come through the Featured category, which will introduce animated chat backgrounds. Rather than filling conversations with constant movement, the animations are reportedly being designed to move slowly and remain relatively unobtrusive.
That restraint makes sense for a messaging interface. Animated backgrounds can make an app feel more expressive, but excessive movement risks competing with the messages users are actually trying to read. It can also introduce accessibility concerns for people who are sensitive to motion. Keeping the effect subtle could give WhatsApp some visual personality without turning every conversation into a moving screensaver.
The Doodle category, meanwhile, is expected to build on WhatsApp’s familiar illustrated wallpaper pattern. Minimal themes will take the opposite approach, offering simple white or black backgrounds that adapt to the device’s light or dark appearance.
WhatsApp also appears to be keeping tight control over how the themes are presented. Chat bubble colors will reportedly change to complement the selected wallpaper, but users will not be able to choose those colors independently. Instead, the app will automatically determine the combination.
That may disappoint users hoping for granular customization, particularly as messaging platforms increasingly allow people to personalize individual conversations. WhatsApp has traditionally kept its interface comparatively restrained, however, and automatically coordinated colors should reduce the likelihood of combinations that hurt readability.
There is no release date yet. The redesigned WhatsApp chat themes remain under development and are not currently available even to beta testers. Their appearance in development builds on both iOS and Android is a stronger indication that WhatsApp intends to move forward with the idea, but unfinished beta features can still change considerably or disappear before public release.
The work also reflects a broader shift in mature messaging apps. With the basic mechanics of sending messages, photos, calls and files long established, personalization has become another way for platforms to make frequently used conversations feel distinct without fundamentally changing how the service works.
Animated WhatsApp wallpapers are unlikely to transform the messaging experience, but that may be precisely the point. If the final implementation keeps motion understated and readability intact, it could make chats feel a little less static without getting in the way of what people opened WhatsApp to do.
