Instagram Messages Background: Chat Themes, Dark Mode
To change your Instagram messages background, open the chat, tap the chat name at the top, tap Theme and pick a theme. It changes the wallpaper and the colour of the messages in that conversation. To make the whole app darker instead, turn on dark mode, which Instagram sets device by device: on an iPhone, it simply follows the phone’s own setting.
Chat settings are one stop in our step-by-step guide to using Instagram. If private messages are new to you, start with what DM means and what Instagram Direct is.
Which one you need depends on what you’re after:
| You want | Use | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| A new look for one chat | A chat theme | In the app: the chat name, then Theme |
| A theme made from your own description | An AI theme (certain areas only) | Theme, then Create with AI |
| The whole app in darker colours | Dark mode | iPhone: device settings. Android: Instagram’s settings. Computer: Switch appearance |
Table of Contents
- How to change your Instagram messages background
- How to make an AI chat theme
- Can you use your own photo as a chat background?
- How to turn on dark mode on Instagram (iPhone, Android, computer)
- Why can’t I change my chat theme?
- FAQ
How to change your Instagram messages background
Open the conversation, tap the chat name at the top, tap Theme, then tap the theme you want; the chat switches to it automatically.
On iPhone:
- Tap Messages at the bottom.
- Tap a conversation in your inbox.
- Tap the chat name at the top, then tap Theme.
- Tap a chat theme. Your chat will automatically switch to your chosen theme.
Checked against Instagram Help Center: Choose a theme for your chat on Instagram.
Android uses the same steps. The computer version of Instagram’s article has no steps, so make the change in the app.
Three things to know before you pick:
- It’s set per conversation. The steps change the theme of the chat you have open, not your whole inbox.
- Everyone in the chat sees it. Meta says the chat themes in Instagram DMs change the background and the colour of the text bubble for everyone in the chat, so in a group chat your pick applies to the whole group. Checked against Meta Newsroom: Meta's AI Products Just Got Smarter and More Useful (25 September 2024)
- There’s no documented reset. Instagram’s article doesn’t mention a default theme or a reset button. To change the background again, repeat the steps and pick another theme.
Because everyone in the chat sees the new colours, check that messages still read easily on the new background before you leave it.
How to make an AI chat theme
In the same Theme menu, tap Create with AI, describe a picture (or tap Generate for a suggested description), tap Next, then tap Create to apply it. Custom themes by Meta AI are only available in certain areas, and Instagram doesn’t list which ones, so the option may simply be missing for you.
On iPhone:
- Tap Messages at the bottom.
- Tap a conversation in your inbox.
- Tap the chat name at the top, then tap Theme.
- Tap Create with AI.
- Enter a description (example: flowers in a garden) or tap Generate to enter a suggested description.
- Tap Next in the bottom right to create your theme.
- Optionally tap Reload for another version, edit the description, or tap More to rate or report the theme.
- When you're ready, tap Create in the bottom right to apply the theme to your chat.
Checked against Instagram Help Center: Choose a theme for your chat on Instagram.
Android uses the same steps.
One rule catches people out: an AI theme isn’t kept. Instagram says changing an AI theme removes it and it won’t be saved, so if you switch to another theme, the AI one is gone for good. To get something similar back, create it again from the same description.
Can you use your own photo as a chat background?
Not through any option Instagram documents. Its theme article covers two ways to change a chat’s look: picking one of Instagram’s themes, or describing one for Meta AI to create where that’s available. It describes no way to upload a photo of your own.
Checked against Instagram Help Center: Choose a theme for your chat on Instagram.
Be wary of modified versions of the Instagram app that promise custom wallpapers. They aren’t Instagram’s, and Instagram’s Terms of Use say you can’t modify, translate, create derivative works of, or reverse engineer its products or their components.
Checked against Instagram Terms of Use (effective 1 January 2025).
The closest official option is an AI theme: describe the scene you have in mind and let Meta AI create a theme from it, if the feature is available where you are.
How to turn on dark mode on Instagram (iPhone, Android, computer)
It depends on the device. iPhone and iPad follow the device’s own setting, Android has a Dark mode setting inside Instagram, and instagram.com has a Switch appearance toggle. Each device is set separately, so turning it on in one place doesn’t change the others.
| Device | Where you switch it | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone and iPad | The device’s own settings, not the Instagram app | Other apps may switch to dark mode too |
| Android | Instagram’s Dark mode setting: On, Off or System default | You may need to update to Android 10 to see it |
| Computer (instagram.com) | More, then Switch appearance | Set separately from your phone |
Checked against Instagram Help Center: Turn on Dark mode for Instagram.
Instagram’s own steps for each device:
On iPhone:
- Go to your iPhone device settings and turn on dark mode there.
Checked against Instagram Help Center: Turn on Dark mode for Instagram.
On Android:
- Tap Profile or your profile picture in the bottom right to go to your profile.
- Tap Menu in the top right.
- Below Your app and media, tap Accessibility and translation.
- Tap Dark mode.
- Tap Select next to On or Off, or tap System default to follow your device's settings.
On the web:
- Click More in the bottom left.
- Click Switch appearance, then click the toggle to turn dark mode on.
Checked against Instagram Help Center: Turn on Dark mode for Instagram.
Is there a dark mode just for messages?
Not one that Instagram documents. Dark mode covers the whole app, or instagram.com, on the device where you turn it on, and Instagram describes it as adjusting the colours on your screen for a darker appearance. It doesn’t document a separate black theme either. If you only want one chat to look different, change that chat’s theme instead.
Checked against Instagram Help Center: Turn on Dark mode for Instagram.
Why can’t I change my chat theme?
Usually you’re on a computer, the AI option hasn’t reached your area, or the app needs an update. Check these in order:
- You’re on instagram.com. Instagram’s theme article only has steps for the app, so switch to your phone.
- Create with AI is missing. Custom themes by Meta AI are only available in certain areas.
- Your AI theme disappeared. Changing an AI theme removes it, and it isn’t saved. Make a new one.
- Nothing changes at all. Instagram’s troubleshooting order: update the app and your phone’s operating system, restart the phone, try both Wi-Fi and mobile data, then uninstall and reinstall. Instagram also notes that a feature may not be available to everyone yet. Checked against Instagram Help Center: Troubleshooting
If the trouble is a noisy chat rather than how it looks, mute its messages instead. And the short updates shown at the top of the same inbox are Instagram Notes, which have their own rules.
Themes, dark mode and chats are all handled inside Instagram:
Keep your Instagram feed on schedule with Outfeed AI
FAQ
Does the other person see my Instagram chat theme?
Yes. Meta says the chat themes in Instagram DMs change the background and the colour of the text bubble for everyone in the chat. A theme is set for one conversation at a time, not for your whole inbox.
How do I change my Instagram chat theme back to default?
Instagram’s Help Center doesn’t document a reset or default option. To change the background again, open the chat, tap the chat name, tap Theme and pick another theme. If you replace an AI theme, it’s removed and not saved.
Can I use my own photo as an Instagram chat background?
Instagram’s Help Center documents no way to upload your own photo. You can pick one of Instagram’s themes or, where it’s available, describe a picture for Meta AI to turn into a custom theme. Instagram’s Terms of Use say you can’t modify or create derivative works of its products, so avoid modified apps that promise custom wallpapers.
Can you change Instagram chat themes on a computer?
Instagram’s Help Center only gives theme steps for the iPhone and Android apps; the computer version of the article has none. You can still turn on dark mode on instagram.com: click More in the bottom left, click Switch appearance, then click the toggle.
How do I put Instagram on dark mode on iPhone?
Not inside the app: Instagram for iPhone and iPad follows the device’s own dark mode setting, so turn dark mode on in your iPhone’s settings. That may switch other apps to dark mode too. On Android, Instagram has its own Dark mode setting with On, Off and System default.