WhatsApp chat theme goes missing for some, while others report receiving it finally

It seems WhatsApp is still undecided about its ‘Chat Theme’ feature that it began testing publicly in October last year. It has been months since the feature went out in the wild, but it has still not made its way over to everyone. In fact, over the past few days, some users claim that the feature has suddenly gone missing for them.

Some users who had the ability to change the chat theme are now claiming that WhatsApp has defaulted back to the signature green color. “WhatsApp removed the theme option?” one user asked, adding their bubble colors no longer matched their background. 

On the other hand, several users have posted about them receiving the option to change the chat theme. In particular, the reports I found on X seem to be from users in South East Asia. The split experiences suggest WhatsApp is still testing the feature’s rollout, leaving users in different regions or on different app versions with wildly different access.

Reddit threads echoed the divide. A user on r/whatsapp said their blue chat color reverted to green, sparking replies from others who lost themes too. “The colors kept my interest in WhatsApp. Now I wanna delete the app,” one comment read.

WhatsApp has not officially addressed the recent complaints. The lack of clarity has led to creative workarounds. One user suggested changing their app’s region settings to Brazil and updating via the App Store to trigger the feature. But it’s not clear if this actually worked for anyone.

That said, if you don’t know where to look for the chat themes option in the first place, give this video below a watch:

This situation is not surprising though. Experimental features are often taken away and then brought back or scrapped entirely. That said, those missing the feature are holding out hope for its return. “Bring back my pink cutesie theme,” one post begged. Others, still waiting, are eyeing updates.

With no official timeline for a full rollout, WhatsApp’s theme drama serves as a reminder that app changes rarely come smoothly for everyone. For every user thrilled by a new update, there’s another left refreshing their settings, wondering when their turn will come.