Personalizing the smartphone interface is not just a tribute to fashion, but a way to make the device truly yours. Many users wonder how to change the color of SMSto make the dialogs look more pleasant or consistent with the overall style of the system. Unfortunately, standard Android settings do not always provide a direct option to select a specific shade for the background of messages or text, since this is strictly tied to the selected design theme.
However, there are several proven ways to achieve the desired result. You can use the built-in features Material You in the latest versions of Android, install third-party launchers, or change the messaging application itself. In this article, we will analyze all the available methods, from simple settings to more advanced solutions that will help you customize the appearance of correspondence.
It is worth considering that the available options greatly depend on the manufacturer of your device. On smartphones Samsung, Xiaomi or Pixel interface algorithms may differ significantly. Therefore, it is important to carefully follow the instructions, adapted to different use cases.
Using Material You system themes and styles
Starting with Android 12, Google has introduced a dynamic color system called Material You. This technology automatically selects the color palette of the entire interface, including the settings menu, widgets and, importantly for us, the messages app, based on the colors of your wallpaper. If you want to change the color of SMS, first of all try changing the desktop background image.
To do this, go to the personalization settings. The path may look like this: Settings → Wallpaper and style. After selecting a new wallpaper, the system will prompt you to apply the new color scheme. In some shells, for example One UI from Samsung or MIUI from Xiaomi, there are separate sections for selecting a theme where you can manually set an accent color.
⚠️ Attention: Changing the system theme affects all applications that support dynamic colors. Make sure that the new style does not make other important interface elements difficult to read.
If automatic selection does not suit you, check for manual settings inside the messages application itself. In the standard application Google Messages or proprietary utilities from manufacturers, options for changing the theme are sometimes hidden. Find the item Themes in the application settings menu (usually three dots in the corner of the screen) and see if there are options there with a dark or light background, which radically change the perception of text color.
Third-party messaging applications
When standard system tools do not provide the required flexibility, third-party solutions come to the rescue. Replacing a standard application with an alternative one is the most effective way to gain full control over what correspondence looks like. Modern instant messengers from Google Play offer hundreds of ready-made themes and interface designers.
A popular solution is the application Textra SMS. It is famous for its powerful customization engine. After installation, you get access to the Settings → Customize Textra → Colors and stylesection. Here you can separately configure the color of incoming and outgoing messages, the chat background color, and even the text color. You can select any shade from the palette or set it manually through a HEX code.
Another worthy option is Chomp SMS. This app also allows for deep visual customization. You can create your own themes by combining different design elements. To activate new styles, you often need to go to the menu Settings → Themes and download the package you like from the built-in store.
- 🎨 Textra SMS offers the "Night mode" function with automatic switching and fine-tuning of grayscale.
- 💬 Chomp SMS allows set your own images as the background for each individual contact.
- ⚡ QKSMS is an open application with support for Material Design and the ability to sync themes between devices.
When switching to a third-party application, do not forget to set it as the default app. The system will ask for confirmation the first time you start it or when you try to open a message. This ensures that all new notifications and dialogs will be displayed in the new style you customized.
Before deleting the old messages application, export important dialogs to XML or PDF format if the functionality of the new application does not support automatic history transfer.
Setting up themes in Samsung and Xiaomi shells
Owners of devices from large vendors often have access to advanced customization options thanks to branded theme stores. If you have a smartphone Samsung Galaxy, use the application Galaxy Themes. It is pre-installed on all brand devices and offers a huge selection of free and paid themes that change the icons, wallpaper and, most importantly, the color scheme of system applications.
The installation process is as follows: open the themes application, enter "Messages" or "Black" in the search, select the option you like and press Download, and then Apply. Many themes in this store are specially designed to change the color of message bubbles to black, white or neon, ignoring the standard Android settings. application
Users Xiaomi, Redmi And POCO can use the application Themes. It also has sections on system style. However, it is worth noting that applying a global theme can only affect system applications. This may not work for third-party instant messengers, so it's best to look for themes that specifically claim support for the messaging app.
| Manufacturer | Theme store name | Ability to change SMS color | Need account |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung | Galaxy Themes | High (via themes) | Yes (Samsung Account) |
| Xiaomi / Redmi | Themes Application | Medium (depending on the theme) | Yes (Mi Account) |
| Google Pixel | Wallpaper and style | Automatic (Material You) | No |
| Huawei / Honor | HiTheme | High | Yes (Huawei ID) |
⚠️ Attention: When installing themes from third-party sources (not through official stores) there is a risk of system disruption or advertising. Use only proven resources.
Manual configuration through the developer and ADB
For advanced users who want full control over the system and are not afraid of complex manipulations, there is a method for changing colors through USB debugging. This method allows you to implement overlays or change system resources responsible for accent colors. However, this requires a computer and an installed package Android Debug Bridge (ADB).
First you need to activate the developer mode on your smartphone. Go to Settings → About phone and quickly click 7 times on the item Build number. After this, a new section will appear in the settings menu For developers. Enable USB debugging in it.
adb shell cmd overlay enable --exclusive android.system.overlay.darkthemeThis command is an example of how you can force a dark theme to be activated at the system level, which often changes the color of the SMS to white text on black background. There are also specialized modules for Magiskif your device has root access. Modules like Substratum (in older versions of Android) or modern analogs allow you to apply themes to any interface elements, including individual dialog elements.
Risks of using ADB and root access
Obtaining superuser rights (Root) and interfering with system files via ADB can lead to loss of warranty, unstable operation of the device, or its complete failure (brick). You perform all actions at your own peril and risk. Be sure to make a complete backup copy of your data before starting any manipulations.
The use of such methods is justified only if standard methods have exhausted themselves. Remember that system updates may reset your settings or make installed overlays incompatible, which will require repeated intervention.
Solving color display problems
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the color of an SMS has changed on its own or has become unreadable. This could be due to an application glitch, a theme conflict, or an error after a system update. If you see text blending into the background or becoming transparent, the first thing to do is clear your Messages app cache.
Go to Settings → Applications → Messages → Memory and press the button Clear cache. Do not confuse this with data clearing, as it may delete your chat history if it is not synchronized with the cloud. After clearing the cache, restart the device and check whether normal display is restored.
- 🔄 Check if the mode is enabled Energy savings, which sometimes forcibly changes the color scheme to monochrome to reduce screen resource consumption.
- 👁️ Make sure that the color filter or inversion is not activated in the accessibility settings, which can distort the perception of shades.
- 📱 Try it temporarily switch to the standard system theme to avoid conflicts with third-party modifications.
⚠️ Attention: If a color problem appeared after a firmware update, this may be a bug in a specific software version. Follow the official comments from the manufacturer or roll back to the previous version, if possible and safe.
In rare cases, the problem may lie in the hardware of the screen, for example, when the AMOLED matrix burns out, when certain colors are no longer displayed correctly. To check this, run a screen test through the engineering menu or a special application for diagnosing the display.
☑️ Diagnosing color problems
The influence of the dark theme on the perception of messages
It is worth mentioning the dark theme separately, since it radically changes the color of SMS, making the background black or dark gray, and the text light. This is not only a matter of aesthetics, but also concerns about vision and battery. On screens like AMOLED using dark pixels really saves battery power, since they simply turn off.
Activating a dark theme is usually available in the notification shade or in the general display settings. Path: Settings → Display → Dark theme. Some applications, including Google Messageshave a separate switch inside the settings of the application itself, which allows you to select the option "Always dark", "Always light" or "Same as system".
Using dark mode makes the color of the message bubbles less bright, but with more contrast for reading in low light conditions. Many users note that in dark mode their eyes get tired much less when texting at night. This is a great way to change the color perception without installing additional apps.
Dark theme is the safest and most energy-efficient way to change the color of SMS, available on any modern smartphone without the risk of disrupting the system.
FAQ: Frequently asked questions
Is it possible to change the color of SMS for only one specific contact?
In standard applications, this function is rare. However, in advanced third-party clients such as Textra or Chomp SMS, you can set a unique background color or font style for your favorite contacts to visually highlight important conversations.
Why did the message color change after an Android update?
System updates often bring changes to design code Material Design. Google may change the default palette, fonts, or rounded corners. Also, the new version may interpret your wallpaper in the system differently Material You, which will lead to an automatic change of the accent color.
Is it safe to install third-party applications for SMS?
Yes, if you download them from the official store Google Play. The application will ask for permission to read and send messages - this is necessary for it to work. Always check the app's rating and reviews before installing to avoid malware.
How can I get all the colors back if I don't like them?
The easiest way is to go to the theme or app settings and select "Reset settings" or "Standard theme". If you changed the application, simply delete it and the system will offer to return to using the standard client for SMS.
Does the color of SMS affect the speed of message delivery?
No, the visual design has nothing to do with technical data transfer protocols. The color of the bubbles, font and background are solely interface display parameters (UI) and do not affect the network operation or the speed of sending SMS and MMS.