- How to change your Snapchat chat background
- Everyone in the chat sees the wallpaper
- Use a photo from the chat as the background
- How to remove or clear a chat wallpaper
- AI chat wallpaper for Snapchat+ subscribers
- Getting Snapchat+ if you want AI wallpapers
- If you can't find the Wallpaper option
- My verdict
- Frequently asked questions
To change the chat background on Snapchat, open the friend's or group's Chat Profile, tap Wallpaper under Our Chat, tap Add Wallpaper or Change Wallpaper, choose whether to blur it and tap Confirm. The wallpaper shows for everyone in that chat, not just you. Snapchat+ subscribers can also generate an AI wallpaper from a prompt.
Snapchat added chat wallpapers so each conversation can look a bit more personal. It's a small feature, but there's one thing worth knowing before you pick a photo: the background isn't private to you. Here's how to set one, how to use a picture someone sent, how to clear it and how the Snapchat+ AI version works.
How to change your Snapchat chat background
- Open the Chat Profile for the friend or group. That's the profile page for the conversation itself.
- Tap Wallpaper under Our Chat.
- Tap Add Wallpaper, or Change Wallpaper if one's already set.
- Preview it and decide whether you want it blurred.
- Tap Confirm to save.
Snapchat's help page says it works for both one-on-one chats, which it calls Friendship profiles, and Group Chats.
Everyone in the chat sees the wallpaper
This is the bit most people don't realise. Snapchat describes chat wallpaper as customising the background of Chats and Group Chats for everyone in the Chat to see. So the background you choose shows up on your friend's side too, and in a group, every member sees it. Pick something you're happy for the whole chat to look at.
| Question | Answer from Snapchat's help pages |
|---|---|
| Who sees the wallpaper? | Everyone in that Chat or Group Chat |
| Which chats can have one? | Friendship chats and Group Chats |
| Can it be blurred? | Yes, you choose that in the preview before confirming |
| Do I need Snapchat+? | Not for a normal wallpaper; only for AI-generated ones |
Use a photo from the chat as the background
There's a quicker way if someone's sent a picture you'd like as the background. Press and hold on the image in the chat and tap Set as Chat Wallpaper. It's handy for a group photo in a friends' group, or a shared joke in a one-on-one chat.
How to remove or clear a chat wallpaper
Open the wallpaper preview and tap the trashcan icon in the top right, or select the empty state in the Wallpaper selection view. Either one clears the background back to normal.
AI chat wallpaper for Snapchat+ subscribers
If you subscribe to Snapchat+, you can use generative AI to create a wallpaper from a prompt you write. The steps start the same way:
- Open the Friendship or Group Chat Profile.
- Tap Wallpaper under Our Chat.
- Tap Add Wallpaper or Change Wallpaper.
- Scroll to Imagine a Wallpaper and tap the prompt bar.
- Type a prompt, pick a suggested one, or tap the dice icon for a random prompt.
- Tap Search to generate wallpapers, then pick the one you like.
- Preview it, choose whether to blur it, and tap Confirm.
If you don't like what it made, Snapchat says you can tap the three-dot icon or long-press any generated image to give feedback. Clearing an AI wallpaper works the same way as a normal one, with the trashcan in the preview.
The wallpaper is the cosmetic bit; for the basics underneath, read about starting and deleting chats on Snapchat.
Getting Snapchat+ if you want AI wallpapers
Snapchat+ is the paid subscription that gives you exclusive, experimental and pre-release features. To subscribe in the app, go to your Profile, tap the Snapchat+ banner card at the top and choose a subscription. You can also subscribe on the web at snapchat.com/plus. Snapchat says you might need to restart the app afterwards for the features to appear. Not sure whether a friend already has it? Telling if someone has Snapchat+ covers the signs.
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If you can't find the Wallpaper option
- Make sure you're on the Chat Profile, not your own My Account page. Wallpaper sits under Our Chat on the conversation's profile.
- Update Snapchat to the latest version from the App Store or Google Play.
- For AI wallpaper, check you're subscribed to Snapchat+ and restart the app if the option still isn't there.
If a chat's got cluttered and a new background won't fix it, clearing a chat on Snapchat explains how to tidy the conversation itself.
My verdict
Changing your Snapchat chat background takes a few taps from the Chat Profile, and using a photo from the chat with Set as Chat Wallpaper is the quickest route. Just remember it's shared: your friend or your whole group sees it too. You don't need Snapchat+ unless you want AI-generated backgrounds, so try a normal wallpaper first.
Want the AI wallpaper to be someone else's treat? See gifting Snapchat+ to a friend.
Frequently asked questions
How do I change my chat background on Snapchat?
Open the friend's or group's Chat Profile, tap Wallpaper under Our Chat, tap Add Wallpaper or Change Wallpaper, choose whether to blur it and tap Confirm.
Can the other person see my Snapchat chat wallpaper?
Yes. Snapchat says chat wallpaper is for everyone in the Chat to see, so your friend or every group member sees it.
Can I use a photo from the chat as wallpaper?
Yes. Press and hold on the image in the chat and tap Set as Chat Wallpaper.
How do I remove a chat wallpaper on Snapchat?
Tap the trashcan icon in the top right of the wallpaper preview, or select the empty state in the Wallpaper selection view.
Do I need Snapchat+ to change my chat background?
No. Anyone can set a normal wallpaper. You only need Snapchat+ to generate AI chat wallpapers from a prompt.
