If your texts are different colors on Android, that means that some of them are standard SMS/MMS messages and some are RCS messages. That way you can differentiate between messages easier. We made sure to explain the difference between the two below and also mention another reason why this might happen. Make sure to continue reading.
Why are my text messages different colors on Android?
Some texts are different colors in Messages because the colors are used to differentiate between standard SMS/MMS messages and Advanced RCS messages. We already wrote about RCS and why you should consider using it. They are often in blue message bubbles, unlike SMS/MMS messages that are either gray or adopt the color of the theme.
A short summary would be that the RCS messaging protocol is for Android and analogous to iMessage for iOS. It turns the default SMS app into an instant messenger. It allows you to send photos and videos, record voice messages, send attachments, and much more. Of course, RCS or Advanced Messaging requires an internet connection, be that Wi-Fi or Mobile data. At this time, only Samsung and Google Messages apps support RCS.
You can usually enable and disable RCS in Messages > 3-dots menu > Settings > Chat settings or Chat features. And, depending if messages are sent with RCS or as standard SMS/MMS, you’ll get either blue bubbles or a variety of different colors for standard messages.
Now, if we exclude the differentiating bubble colors between RCS and SMS/MMS messages, there’s still system theming to talk about. Especially on Android 12, where many apps adopt the color scheme of your wallpaper. Material You on Pixel phones is synonymous with this customization feature, although many other OEMs incorporate it in a similar manner, too. For example, Samsung OneUI 4 comes with the Color Palette feature. So, if you changed the wallpaper and choose a different color palette, the colors in Messages probably changed, too.
You can tweak these settings in Wallpaper & Style on most devices running Android 12. You can access this menu if you tap and hold on to the Home Screen and select it from the contextual menu. The aforementioned theming feature affects other apps, too.
With that said, we can conclude this article. Hopefully, we provided a valuable explanation of why you get texts of different colors on Android. Thank you for reading and don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Editor’s note: This article was initially published in July 2022. We made sure to revamp it for freshness and accuracy.
