Recently, Facebook sent a big update to Instagram that changed the way you use the messaging feature. Various features were introduced such as emoji reactions, extinction mode, selfie stickers and chat themes. Unfortunately, some users are not able to experience the chat themes function on Instagram. Let’s find out together how to fix Instagram chat themes not showing on your phone.
Chat theme is different from app theme where you can choose between dark or light mode. With chat themes, you are offered a wide variety of colors, but only the chat background or bubble color changes.
If Instagram chat themes are not working for you, the solutions below should help. Let’s start.
Things to Know About Instagram Chat Themes and Balloon Colors
- There are two things – Themes and Colors and gradients. Chat themes add a background or wallpaper to the chat and also change the bubble color of Instagram messages. However, choosing a different color only changes the message bubble color. For convenience, we will refer to both as themes in this article.
- The theme is valid for a single chat only. You have to manually change the theme or color for each chat. Very detailed customization.
- Even if the other person is not notified about the theme change, when they open the chat they will see the theme change notification inside the chat.
- Every time you change the theme or balloon color, the change is reflected not only to you but to the other user as well.
Let’s move on to the solutions now.
1. Follow Step by Step Method to Change Instagram Chat Theme
The first solution would be to follow the correct steps to change the chat theme.
Stage 1: Launch the Instagram app and tap on the Messenger icon at the top. If you see the old Direct Message icon, skip to the next solution.
Step 2: Tap the chat whose theme or color you want to change. Inside the chat, tap the (i) icon at the top.
Pro Tip: Learn how to see the first post on Instagram without scrolling.
Stage 3You will see the : Theme option. Tap on it. Various themes and colors will welcome you. Tap the one you want to use.
The balloon color changes when the keyboard is active and not as you can see in the screenshots below.
Fly: If the theme colors look weird, switch between dark and light theme in Instagram Settings > Theme.
2. Update Instagram App
If you don’t see the theme setting in your Instagram Messages, you need to update the Instagram app. Open Play Store (Android) and App Store (iOS) and search for Instagram. Tap on Update. Once it’s updated, open the Instagram app and you’ll be greeted with a notification saying something like Promoting Cross-App messaging or Messaging has changed. Tap on it and follow the onscreen instructions to get the theme feature.
If you don’t see any notification, uninstall the Instagram app from recent apps list or restart your phone after updating the app. Then open Instagram again and you will have the new feature.
When messaging is updated, the Instagram Direct Messaging (DM) icon will be replaced by the Facebook Messenger logo. Only when you have the new icon will you be able to use themes in Instagram chats. Follow the steps mentioned above to change the chat theme.
3. Update Messaging Feature
If you declined or did not receive the notification about cross-app messaging. Do not worry. Go to your profile screen in the Instagram app and tap the three-bar icon. Select Settings from it.
At the top you will see Update Messaging. Tap on it. A new screen will open showing various features of Instagram messages. Tap on Update.
Pro Tip: If you don’t see the Update Messaging option, update your Instagram app first if you haven’t and restart your phone.
You will be asked if you want to link your Instagram and Facebook accounts. If you do, you will be able to send messages from Instagram to your Messenger contacts. Tap Continue or hit Skip if you want to link them.
Go to the home screen of the Instagram app and you will see that the Messenger logo has replaced the old DM icon. Open chat and you should be able to change the theme as per the instructions in fix 1.
Fly: Know what mute is on Instagram and how to use it.
4. Sign Out of All Accounts
Next, you should try logging out of your Instagram account. For many users, logging out helped them get their chat themes working. To exit the Instagram app, go to your profile screen and tap the icon with the three bars. Select settings.
Scroll down and tap on Sign out from xyz where xyz is your account name. Alternatively, if you have multiple accounts added to Instagram, tap Sign out of all accounts. Make sure you know your accounts passwords before hitting the logout button.
Restart your phone after signing out. And then login again. Hopefully, the chat themes should now work for your account.
Pro Tip: Check out our guide on how to remove Instagram remembered account.
5. Clear Cache and Data (Android Only)
To get chat themes on Android phones, you can try clearing the cache and data of the Instagram app. Clearing cache or data will not delete your Instagram photos or other personal data on your phone. However, clearing data will sign you out of all your Instagram accounts on the phone.
To clear the cache and data of the Instagram app, go to Settings > Apps. Tap Instagram.
Under Instagram, tap Storage. Next, tap on Clear cache first.
Go back and hit the Force Close button. Open Instagram app and check if you can use chat themes after enabling new messages feature. If that doesn’t work, tap on Clear storage or Clear data. Open Instagram and log in with your account information. Then try changing the chat theme.
Pro Tip: WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Contacts etc. Find out in detail what’s going on by clearing apps’ data.
6. Uninstall Instagram App
If the above solutions don’t help, you should try uninstalling the Instagram app. To uninstall on Android, open Settings > Apps > Instagram. Tap the Remove button. Alternatively, touch and hold the Instagram app icon on the home screen and select Uninstall. On iPhone, also touch and hold the Instagram app icon and select Delete app.
Note: Deleting the Instagram app will not delete your Instagram account or your photos in it. Find out in detail what happened by uninstalling the Instagram app from the phone.
7. Be Patient
Instagram is gradually introducing the chat theme feature. It may not be available in your country yet. We ask that you be patient until you receive the feature. Remember that anything good takes time.
Switch to Original Classic Instagram Theme
If you don’t like the themes or colors that Instagram offers, you can’t remove the feature. However, you can switch to the original Instagram posts view by selecting Classic from the list of themes/colors.
Next: Want to use Instagram messages like a pro? Check out 14 tips for Instagram chats at the next link.
