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  • You can change your WhatsApp wallpaper for a specific chat or for all of your chats at once.
  • To change your WhatsApp wallpaper on iPhone or Android, go to Settings or the "Group Info" section of a specific chat.
  • WhatsApp lets you choose from pre-set wallpapers or upload a photo from your phone.
  • This story is part of Insider's Guide to WhatsApp.

WhatsApp offers its users the ability to customize the backgrounds of chats, either all at once or chat by chat. Whether you want to change your background for a functional purpose (a plain background to make messages easier to read) or for aesthetic purposes (a festive background on a group chat for holiday party planning), it can be done in just a few steps. 

Here's how to change your WhatsApp wallpaper for all chats and for specific chats on both iPhone and Android.

How to change WhatsApp wallpaper for all chats

1. Open WhatsApp. If you have an iPhone, tap the Settings tab at the bottom-right of the screen. If you have an Android, tap the three vertical dots in the top-right corner of the screen, then tap Settings.

2. Tap Chats.

This method changes the backgrounds of all WhatsApp chats in one fell swoop. Abigail Abesamis Demarest

3. Tap Chat Wallpaper.

Tap here to look through the many preset wallpapers available on WhatsApp or to choose your own photo. Abigail Abesamis Demarest

4. Tap to choose a Wallpaper from the list of options, or upload a photo from your phone.

5. On the Preview page, tap Cancel to keep browsing or Set to choose the wallpaper as your background for all chats.

On this page, you can preview wallpapers before committing to one. Abigail Abesamis Demarest

Quick tip: On Android phones, you can set your background to dark mode from within WhatsApp. If you have an iPhone, WhatsApp will only be in dark mode if it is enabled in your system settings.

How to change WhatsApp wallpaper for a specific chat

You can further customize your WhatsApp experience by having different wallpapers for different chats. 

On Android:

1. In WhatsApp, open the chat you want to change the wallpaper for.

2. At the top of the chat, tap the three-dot icon. Tap Wallpaper.

3. Tap to choose a wallpaper from the list of options, or upload a photo from your phone.

On iPhone:

1. In WhatsApp, open the chat you want to change the wallpaper for.

2. At the top of the chat, tap the group name.

Tap the group name to get more information and make changes to a chat. Abigail Abesamis Demarest

3. Tap Wallpaper & Sound.

From here, the process of choosing a wallpaper is the same as the previous section. Abigail Abesamis Demarest

4. Tap to choose a wallpaper from the list of options, or upload a photo from your phone.

Abigail Abesamis Demarest Abigail Abesamis Demarest is a contributing writer for Insider based in New York. She loves a good glazed donut and nerdy deep dives into the science of food and how it's made.  Read more Read less

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