Instagram User Changing Theme for Instagram DM Conversation
Khamosh Pathak

Facebook has merged Instagram DMs with Facebook Messenger. Once you opt-in, you can message your Facebook friends right from Instagram. More importantly, you can change the chat theme and accent color for Instagram DMs on iPhone and Android.

How to Update Messaging on Instagram

The new chat customization features are only available if you update to Instagram's new cross-platform messaging feature (which lets you message Facebook friends right from Instagram). It's important to note that this update is not reversible.

RELATED: How to Message a Facebook Friend From Instagram

First, update your Instagram app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. When you open the app, you will see a banner about the new cross-platform messaging update. This means the feature is now available to you.

You can enable this feature from "Settings." To do this, go to your "Profile" tab.

Then, select the hamburger menu button from the top-right corner of the screen.

Tap Menu from your Instagram profile

Here, choose the "Settings" option.

Tap Settings in Instagram

Now, select the "Update Messaging" option.

Tap Update Messaging

Here, choose the "Update" button.

Tap Update

The messaging feature has been updated. To confirm, go back to Instagram's home screen. At the top, you'll now see a Messenger icon instead of the classic Instagram DM icon.

How to Change Chat Theme or Accent Color in Instagram DMs

Now, you can change the chat theme or chat color for each individual Instagram DM conversation.

Choose the "Messenger" icon in the top-right corner of the Instagram app's home screen to view all conversations.

Here, choose a conversation that you want to change the theme.

Select Conversation fro Instagram DM

Now, choose the "i" icon from the top-right corner.

Tap Info button From Conversation

Tap the "Theme" option.

Tap Theme

You'll see a couple of different themes at the top. Choose one.

Select an Instagram Theme

Then, you'll see color options in the "Colors & Gradients" section.

Select an Instagram Color

Themes will change the chat background as well as chat bubbles. The chat color only changes the chat bubbles, and the background stays the same.

Instagram DM Themes

Choose a theme or chat color to apply to the conversation. When you do this, other participants will get a notification about it, and the theme will change for everyone in the conversation.

The new default theme for Instagram DMs brings a gradient background for chat bubbles. If you want to go back to the classic gray background, choose the "Direct Classic" option from the Themes section.

Select Direct Classic Theme to Go Back

Looking for a particular message in Instagram DM and can't figure out how to find it? Here's a workaround to search in messages from Instagram DM.

RELATED: How to Search Your Instagram Direct Messages

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