Even if RCS isn’t as widely used as WhatsApp or iMessage, it’s still significant, especially in the US where a significant portion of Android users are now conversing using the upgraded standard that was designed to replace SMS and MMS. Since Google keeps adding functionality to both its Jibe platform and its app in an effort to advance the ecosystem, Messages has evolved into the de facto home for RCS over time. RCS conversations are now giving certain users a large amount of customisation options.
There are now custom RCS color themes available
According to a tipster, beta testers are starting to get the unique backdrop and chat bubble color choices that were observed in development in November. After upgrading from version 20240228 to version 20240308, we can confirm that we’re seeing the new setting on certain devices. However, because not all of our devices received the functionality after updating, it seems like there may also be a server-side component involved.
Select Change colors from the overflow menu by touching the three-dot menu button within any chat thread to see the new color selections, if you’re among the fortunate few. As an alternative, you may pick information or Group information from the overflow menu, and then locate the Change colors option just below the area containing the photos and videos. This will show you a thumbnail image of the nine available color selections for that specific group thread or conversation.
The eight other themes feature more colorful sent-message bubbles and backgrounds; the default theme (top-left) pulls its mild accent colors from your device wallpaper using Material You dynamic theming. It makes sense that there isn’t an app-wide option—at least not that we could see during our testing—given that the capability is limited to RCS conversations and not SMS message threads or MMS group chats.
A notification stating “You changed the theme” will appear at the bottom of the screen if you choose a different color for any topic. Adjacent to this, there’s a Change link that lets you easily go to the settings page and choose a new theme or return. It’s interesting to note that, despite the themes’ present lack of support, this message appeared on Google Messages for the web, even if it didn’t appear on the recipient’s end during our testing.
