Control shared background display in iOS

The iOS 26 messages background display is shared?

I updated to the new iOS 26. I think the updates are really really cool. Especially the backgrounds. But I don’t understand and what I’m learning is that everybody sees how you personalize the text message background. Even the group chat. I’m not sure about android users in the chat, but Apple I saw it in real time. This sort of defeats the whole purpose of personalization. I think it’s a great idea, but I don’t think it should be shared at all. I think you should be able to have your own backgrounds for each text or user being communicated with in messages. If that makes sense. If I update a text background, the other person I’m texting will see it as well apparently. You’ll see a notification at the bottom like Find My iPhone when they share. So and so changed background.


Is there a way to change this so the person I’m texting can’t see the background I choose? And vice versa. If not, I’m just going to turn it off altogether in disappointment.

FYI - Which is in settings > messages > conversation backgrounds.




Posted on Nov 23, 2025 7:01 PM

Reply
1 reply

Nov 25, 2025 3:22 PM in response to Gtman513

Gtman513 wrote:

The iOS 26 messages background display is shared?
I updated to the new iOS 26. I think the updates are really really cool. Especially the backgrounds. But I don’t understand and what I’m learning is that everybody sees how you personalize the text message background. Even the group chat. I’m not sure about android users in the chat, but Apple I saw it in real time. This sort of defeats the whole purpose of personalization. I think it’s a great idea, but I don’t think it should be shared at all. I think you should be able to have your own backgrounds for each text or user being communicated with in messages. If that makes sense. If I update a text background, the other person I’m texting will see it as well apparently. You’ll see a notification at the bottom like Find My iPhone when they share. So and so changed background.

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Control shared background display in iOS

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