WhatsApp is rolling out a much-requested feature to iPhone and Android devices that promises to completely overhaul the appearance of your chat app until it's (almost) unrecognisble. Introducing the new feature, WhatsApp says: "You asked for it. Here it is!"

So, what exactly have WhatsApp users been demanding?

The latest update brings a slew of new customisation options, so you can tweak the appearance of the chat app to suit your tastes. WhatsApp has even added the ability to change the colour of the chat bubbles from the iconic green shade used since the messenger launched in late 2009.

"You asked for it. Here it is", WhatsApp announced with the arrival of the advanced theme options

For the first time — you’re able to choose a different colour for these bubbles, including orange, purple, or blue. it might sound trivial, but these colours really matter. iMessage, the Apple-owned messaging service, differentiates between messages from iPhone, Mac and iPad owners and those with an Android device by using different colours — blue and green, respectively. Messenger from Facebook uses the social network's trademark blue shades for its interface, while WhatsApp has always been characterised by its green shades.

But that will change with the next update.

The latest shake-up from WhatsApp isn't just about the colour of bubbles. The US company has also added 30 new wallpapers to refresh the backgrounds used across the chat app.

WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta — the parent company behind Instagram and Facebook, is one of the most popular applications on the planet, boasting over 2 billion users. If even a tiny proportion of that global fan-base requested the ability to change the look of their chat app ...that’s still millions making their demands to Meta.

If you were one of those who asked for these changes, you'll be glad to know the team at WhatsApp heard your demands loud and clear.

WhatsApp lets you swipe through new background images and pick from a range of new colours to replace the iconic green bubbles

If you don’t fancy spending time scrolling through the chat bubbles colours and backgrounds images to freshen-up the look of the app, WhatsApp has added several pre-set chat themes, which include a complementary background and chat bubble colour combo.

You can apply the new-look to all one-on-one conversations and group chats on WhatsApp with the tap of a button, or make each one unique with a different theme. If you’d rather something really personal, it’s possible to find a favourite picture from your photo library to use as a background for your chats too.

Want to get started with the customisation? If you want to apply the same look to every conversation on WhatsApp, head to .

If you’d rather tweak the appearance for an individual chat, iPhone users will need to tap on the name of the recipient or Group Chat at the top of the chat screen. This will summon a series of customisation options for the conversation, including the new background and theme options.

If you’re using an Android device, load-up a conversation or Group Chat and then tap the three-dot icon in the top corner to summon the same options menu.

WhatsApp is already rolling out these features worldwide. The company takes a staggered approach with major updates, so it could be a few weeks before the changes reach you.

All being well, the update will have finished globally in the coming weeks.