5 ways to personalize WhatsApp

WhatsApp is one of the most important messaging services in the world, but unlike many other apps, the options for personalization are limited. We discuss 5 ways to make the app more personal with different views, selected sounds and your own stickers.

1. WhatsApp Wallpapers

Let’s start with the most obvious way that you can personalize WhatsApp, with a background of your choice. WhatsApp’s wallpapers come in three different categories: clear, dark and solid colors.

If your phone has an AMOLED screen, it is best to choose dark colors, because then you are the most economical with the battery. But of course no one will stop you from trying the more colorful options or choosing your own photo as the background. We explain how to change the background.

1. Open WhatsApp
2. Tap the at the top right menu with the three dots
3. Choose Institutions
4. Press chats
5. Tap on Background
6. Choose Modify
7. Find a nice picture and press Set wallpaper

Furthermore, you can not only change the default backgrounds in WhatsApp, but you can also choose a different picture for each separate conversation. You do this by tapping the menu with the three dots in a conversation and then for Background to choose.

– Read more below the images –

2. Adjust font size

In WhatsApp you can adjust the font size of the text in chat conversations. The interface text then remains the same, but in chats you can enlarge or reduce text to put more information on the screen at the same time. Try what you like best.

1. Open WhatsApp
2. Tap the at the top right menu with the three dots
3. Choose Institutions
4. Press chats
5. Tap on Font size and change Average to Big or Small to test

3. Opt for custom sounds

By default, WhatsApp takes over the notification sound that you use for all notifications on your phone. Still, it can be useful to get started with custom sounds, because then you know without looking that you have received an app. This is how you adjust the sounds.

1. Open WhatsApp
2. Tap the at the top right menu with the three dots
3. Choose Institutions
4. Press notifications
5. Choose Notification Sound and tap an app of your choice to choose a different sound

As with the backgrounds, you can also choose a different sound for each individual conversation. To do this, press the menu with the three dots in the conversation and then Show contact. Then you choose Custom Notifications and check the option in the next screen. Finally, tap notification sound to choose a different music.

4. Choose the theme of WhatsApp

Backgrounds are great for pimping WhatsApp, but the choice between a light and dark theme also changes the interface a lot. By default, WhatsApp takes over the theme that is set on your phone, exactly as it has been working since Android 10. If you still want to make adjustments manually, you can do that from the settings.

1. Open WhatsApp
2. Tap the at the top right menu with the three dots
3. Choose Institutions
4. Press chats
5. Choose Theme and select light or Dark

5. Use your own stickers in WhatsApp

In WhatsApp you can choose from stickers and animated stickers, the latter being an addition that the developers rolled out in 2020. The chat application has now gone one step further and you can also add stickers from third parties. This is not yet possible directly from the messaging app, but it can be done via a detour: an app called Sticker maker. We discuss how that works in this article.

There are of course many more interesting settings in WhatsApp, but with these five options you can personalize the app. Which settings have you adjusted, and are there more options with which you can change the appearance of the app? Let us know in the comments at the bottom of this article.

Do you want to stay informed about the latest news about WhatsApp? Then download our Android app and follow us on Telegram and Twitter. Also check out our new AW Community for an overview of the most popular AW members.