How to Customize Telegram: Themes, Dark Mode, Wallpapers and Text Size

You customise Telegram from the chat or appearance settings in the app: there you can switch between light and dark themes, pick an accent colour, set a chat wallpaper, change the message text size and adjust how the chat list looks. Individual chats can also get their own theme or wallpaper, and Telegram Desktop adds an interface scale for the whole window. Most options are free; a few extras, such as some app icons and profile decorations, need Telegram Premium.

This guide goes through every kind of customisation, platform by platform, explains how settings sync (or do not) between devices, and gives practical setups for reading comfort, battery life and focus.

Before you start

A few facts save confusion later.

1. Appearance settings are mostly per device. Your theme, text size and wallpaper on your phone do not automatically copy to your laptop. Per-chat themes and wallpapers you set for both people are the exception, because they belong to the chat.
2. Menu names differ between apps. Android usually calls the area Chat Settings, iPhone calls it Appearance, and Telegram Desktop spreads options across Chat Settings and General. The descriptions below say "the appearance settings" where the name varies.
3. Update the app first. Many customisation options arrived in recent versions. If something described here is missing, an update usually adds it.
4. Some extras need Premium. If an option shows a lock or a star, it is a Premium feature. Our comparison of Telegram Premium vs free lists them.
5. Note your current setup before big changes. Built-in themes are easy to return to, but a carefully edited custom theme or a wallpaper photo is not. Save a copy of a custom theme, or keep the original photo, so you can go back if a change does not suit you.

Dark mode

Dark mode is the most requested setting, and every Telegram app supports it.

Dark mode on Android

1. Open the menu and go to Settings, then Chat Settings.
2. Choose a dark theme from the theme row, or
3. Open the night mode option to choose how dark mode switches on.

The night mode choices usually include:

• Disabled: stays in the theme you chose.
• Scheduled: switches at set times, or from sunset to sunrise based on your location.
• Adaptive or automatic: switches based on screen brightness.
• System default: follows your phone's own dark mode.

Following the system default is usually simplest: Telegram then matches every other app. Android also offers a quick toggle in the side menu, often a moon or sun icon, to flip between day and night themes.

Dark mode on iPhone and iPad

1. Open Settings, then Appearance.
2. Pick a dark colour scheme from the list, or turn on the option to follow the system, or
3. Use the auto-night mode option to switch on a schedule or with the system's dark mode.

iOS lets you choose which dark variant Telegram uses at night, for example a pure black one or a tinted one. Pure black looks striking on phones with OLED screens and can reduce power use on them.

Dark mode on Telegram Desktop

1. Open Settings, then Chat Settings.
2. Choose a night theme from the theme list.
3. Look for an option to follow the system's dark mode if you want it to switch automatically.

The quickest switch is the night mode toggle in the main menu, which flips between your day and night themes.

Dark mode on Telegram Web

Telegram Web has a dark mode option in its settings or main menu. Some versions follow your browser or system theme by default. If the web version looks different from your phone, it is because web settings are separate.

Why dark mode looks different on each device

Each app has its own set of built-in themes, and dark variants differ in shade. If you want your phone and computer to look alike, pick the closest named theme on each, then match the accent colour by eye.

Colour themes and accent colours

Beyond light and dark, Telegram offers several built-in themes and lets you change the accent colour, the colour of buttons, links and your own message bubbles.

Changing the theme and accent

1. Open the appearance settings.
2. Choose a base theme. Android and iOS show a row of previews; Desktop shows a list.
3. Tap the colour options under the chosen theme to change its accent.
4. Some apps also let you choose whether your message bubbles use a gradient or a flat colour.

Creating your own theme

Android and Desktop let you edit a theme in detail, colour by colour, and save it. iOS lets you create a theme from an accent colour and wallpaper.

1. Open the appearance settings and look for the option to create a new theme.
2. Name it and start from an existing theme.
3. Change colours for backgrounds, text, bubbles and other elements. Android and Desktop show a live preview.
4. Save it.

Custom themes can be shared through a theme link. When someone opens the link, Telegram shows a preview and offers to apply it. Only install themes from people you trust; a theme only changes colours, but a badly made one can make text hard to read.

Readability tips

• Keep strong contrast between text and background. Light grey text on white, or dark blue on black, is hard to read in sunlight.
• Make your own bubbles and other people's bubbles clearly different, so a long conversation is easy to follow.
• Check the theme in bright light and at night before settling on it.

Wallpapers

The chat background, or wallpaper, sits behind your messages. You can set one for all chats and override it for individual chats.

Setting a wallpaper for all chats

1. Open the appearance settings and choose Chat Background or Chat Wallpaper.
2. Pick one of three kinds: Telegram's own wallpapers, including patterns over a colour gradient that can animate gently when you send a message; a plain colour or a gradient built from several colours; or a photo from your gallery.
3. Adjust options such as blur or motion, then apply.

On a computer, Desktop has the same choice under its chat settings, and lets you pick an image file. Telegram Web supports wallpapers in its settings as well.

Setting a wallpaper for one chat

Telegram lets you give a single chat its own wallpaper, different from your default.

1. Open the chat.
2. Open the menu at the top and choose the wallpaper option.
3. Choose a wallpaper or photo.
4. Telegram may ask whether to set it only for you or for both of you. If you choose both, the other person sees it too, if their app supports it.

Setting a wallpaper for both people is a nice touch for a partner or close friend. Because it changes their screen, it is polite to ask first or choose something neutral. Either person can change it back.

Wallpapers for groups and channels

Owners of groups and channels can set a wallpaper that members see. Some wallpaper options are unlocked by boosts, so what is available depends on how many boosts the chat has. Our guide to channel boosts explains which appearance features boosts unlock.

Wallpapers and readability

A busy photo behind messages makes text harder to read. If you use a photo, turn on blur or choose a darker image for dark mode. Patterns and gradients were designed to keep text readable, which is why they are the default.

Chat themes for a single conversation

Chat themes go further than wallpapers: they change the bubble colours and background of one conversation, and both participants see the same theme.

1. Open a private chat.
2. Tap the menu and choose to change the colours or theme. On some versions you tap the other person's name first.
3. Pick a theme. Each one has a day and a night version.
4. Apply. The other person sees a service message that the theme changed.

Chat themes are handy for telling important chats apart at a glance, for example a work contact in one colour and family in another.

Text size and display density

Comfortable reading is often about text size rather than colours.

Changing message text size on Android

1. Open Settings, then Chat Settings.
2. Use the message text size slider at the top. A preview shows the result.
3. Adjust until messages are comfortable to read without making long ones cramped.

Android's chat settings also include options for the roundness of message corners and, on some versions, how many lines of each chat preview the chat list shows.

Changing text size on iPhone

1. Open Settings, then Appearance.
2. Use the text size option. You can either follow the system's text size or set Telegram's own.

Following the system is useful if you already use larger text across your iPhone for accessibility. Set Telegram separately if you want it larger or smaller than other apps.

Changing size on Telegram Desktop

Telegram Desktop has an interface scale setting in its general settings, which enlarges or shrinks the whole window, including chat list, buttons and messages. This is especially useful on high-resolution screens, where the default can look tiny.

1. Open Settings and find the scale option.
2. Choose a larger or smaller scale, or let it follow your system.
3. Telegram restarts or redraws to apply the change.

Desktop also has a separate option to change the font size of messages in some versions, which you can use alongside the scale.

Changing size on Telegram Web

Telegram Web has a message text size option in its settings. You can also use your browser's zoom to enlarge everything.

Tips for readability

• Increase text size before you reach for brighter themes. Most eye strain comes from text that is too small.
• On a computer, raise the interface scale rather than zooming the browser, so buttons stay in proportion.
• If you use a screen reader or system text size, test Telegram's own size option against the system setting to see which works better.

Animations, power saving and motion

Telegram's animations, from animated stickers to moving wallpaper patterns, look lively but use battery and can be distracting.

Telegram has a power saving area in its settings on mobile, which lets you turn off animated stickers, emoji, autoplay of videos and GIFs, interface effects and background animations. You can also have Telegram reduce these automatically when your battery is low.

1. Open Settings and look for Power Saving, or the energy saving option in the chat or data settings.
2. Choose which animations and autoplay features to turn off.
3. Set whether power saving switches on when the battery drops to a certain level.

If motion bothers you, turning off animated wallpapers and interface effects makes Telegram calmer. iOS also follows the system's reduce motion setting for some animations.

Tidying the chat list

Customising Telegram is not only about looks. How your chats are organised changes how the app feels day to day.

Folders

Folders split your chats into tabs, such as Work, Family and Channels. On mobile they appear as tabs above the chat list; on Desktop they can appear as a sidebar. Our guide to Telegram folders shows how to create them and include chats automatically by type.

Pinning, muting and archiving

Pin the chats you use most, mute the noisy ones and archive the ones you rarely open. Our article on pinning, muting and archiving chats covers each option and the limits that apply.

Chat list density

Android lets you choose how many lines of each chat preview appear in the list. Fewer lines fit more chats on screen; more lines show more of the latest message. iOS shows two lines by default.

Swipe gestures

On Android, the chat settings let you choose what happens when you swipe a chat in the list: for example archive, mute, pin, mark as read or delete. If you often archive or mute, setting the swipe to that action saves several taps a day. Choose carefully if you set it to delete, because an accidental swipe then needs an undo. On iPhone the swipe actions are fixed by Telegram, with the most common ones offered on each side of the chat row.

Stickers, emoji and reactions

The parts of Telegram you tap most often can be arranged to suit you.

Sticker and emoji panels

1. Open the sticker settings, found in the chat or appearance settings, or from the settings icon inside the sticker panel.
2. Reorder your sticker sets so favourites come first, or remove sets you no longer use.
3. Decide whether Telegram should suggest stickers when you type an emoji. Some people love it; others find the pop-ups distracting.
4. Choose whether stickers and animated emoji loop or play once, if your version offers it.

Our guide to creating a Telegram sticker pack explains how to add your own set to the panel.

Large emoji and emoji style

When you send a message that contains only one or a few emoji, Telegram shows them large. Some versions let you turn this off in the chat settings. On Android you may also be able to choose between Telegram's emoji style and your phone's system emoji, which affects how emoji look in your chats.

Quick reaction

A double tap on a message adds a reaction. You can choose which reaction that is in the reaction settings, for example a thumbs up instead of a heart. It is a small change that matters if you use reactions to acknowledge messages at work. Channel owners decide separately which reactions subscribers may use on their posts; see setting up channel reactions.

Links and the in-app browser

When you tap a link, Telegram can open it in its own built-in browser or hand it to your default browser. The choice is usually in the chat settings. The built-in browser is quick and keeps you in the app; your own browser has your passwords, bookmarks and extensions. If you often sign in to sites you open from Telegram, using your own browser avoids typing passwords again.

Telegram can also show link previews under messages. Senders can remove a preview before sending, and some apps let you change where the preview appears or make it larger or smaller while composing.

Customising a group or channel you run

Admins can shape how their group or channel looks to members, which is a different kind of customisation from your personal appearance settings.

1. Profile photo and name colour. Set a clear photo and choose a colour for the chat's name and profile cover.
2. Wallpaper. A channel or group can set a wallpaper that members see when they open it. Some styles need a certain number of boosts.
3. Emoji status and custom emoji. Boosted channels can display an emoji status and, in groups, offer a custom emoji pack to members.
4. Reactions. Choose which reactions are allowed, or turn them off.
5. Pinned message. A good pinned post works like a welcome screen. Our guide to pinned message examples has ideas.

These options change with Telegram updates and boost levels, so check the edit screen of your channel or group to see what is available to you.

Profile customisation

How you appear to others is part of customising Telegram too.

Profile photo and video

You can set a profile photo, a short profile video, or both. Our guide on Telegram profile picture sizes covers how to make it look sharp.

Name colour and profile background

Telegram lets users choose a colour for their name and the cover of their profile, shown in chats and on the profile page. Some colours and styles are free; others, and decorative patterns made of emoji, need Telegram Premium. The options appear in your profile or appearance settings.

Emoji status

Premium users can show an emoji next to their name, including animated ones, and set it to expire after a chosen time. It is a quick way to signal "on holiday" or "focusing".

App icon

Telegram offers alternative app icons on mobile. Some are free and others are part of Premium. On iPhone, look in the appearance settings for an app icon option. On Android, availability depends on the version and launcher.

Notification sounds and vibration

Sound is a form of customisation too, and it changes how intrusive Telegram feels.

1. Open Settings, then Notifications and Sounds.
2. Set a sound for private chats, groups and channels separately.
3. To give one chat its own sound, open that chat's notification settings and choose a sound.
4. Telegram also lets you add your own short sound by choosing an audio message or file in a chat and saving it as a notification sound.

Giving important people a distinctive sound means you can ignore everything else without missing them. If notifications stop arriving entirely, read our guide to fixing Telegram notifications.

Language and translation

Telegram's interface is available in many languages, set in the language option in settings. The same area includes Telegram's translate feature, which can add a button to translate messages in other languages. Our guide to translating messages on Telegram covers how it works and what needs Premium.

Platform differences at a glance

• Android: the most detailed options: theme editor, night mode schedules, message corners, chat list density, text size slider.
• iPhone and iPad: themes, auto-night, text size that can follow the system, app icons, wallpapers.
• Telegram Desktop: themes and theme editor, night mode toggle, interface scale, wallpapers from image files, sidebar folders.
• Telegram Web: light and dark mode, wallpaper and text size, with fewer options overall.

For a broader comparison of what each app can do, read our comparison of Telegram Desktop, Web and mobile.

Ready-made setups

These are example configurations for common goals. Adjust them to taste.

Setup for night reading

1. Night mode following the system, or scheduled from sunset.
2. A dark theme with a dark, low-contrast wallpaper or a plain dark colour.
3. Text size one or two steps larger than default.
4. Animated wallpapers off.

Setup for battery life

1. A pure black dark theme on phones with OLED screens.
2. Power saving set to switch on automatically at a low battery level.
3. Autoplay of videos and GIFs off.
4. Automatic media download limited, which also saves data.

Setup for focus at work

1. Folders for Work and Personal, with the work folder first on work days.
2. Busy groups and channels muted and archived.
3. A distinctive sound for your manager or key clients.
4. A plain wallpaper with no motion.

Setup for accessibility

1. Text size following the system's larger text setting, or Telegram's own slider set high.
2. A high-contrast theme: dark text on a light plain background, or the reverse.
3. Interface effects and animations off.
4. On Desktop, a larger interface scale.

Worked examples

These are example situations to show how the settings fit together.

Example: helping a parent read Telegram

Marta's father finds Telegram hard to read on his phone. She raises the message text size slider several steps, switches to a light theme with a plain pale wallpaper, turns off animated stickers in power saving, and pins the family group to the top. She also gives the family group its own notification sound, so he knows which messages are from family. Nothing here needs Premium, and it takes five minutes.

Example: a laptop with a sharp screen

Ben installs Telegram Desktop on a new laptop with a high-resolution display, and everything looks tiny. Instead of zooming, he raises the interface scale in the general settings, which enlarges the chat list, buttons and messages together. He then turns on the option to follow the system's dark mode, so Telegram changes with the rest of his apps in the evening.

Example: a shared theme with a partner

Leila and her partner choose a chat theme for their private chat. Both see the same bubble colours, with a matching night version. She also sets a photo from a holiday as the wallpaper for both of them, after asking first. Their chat now stands out instantly from everything else in the list.

Example: a work phone that must stay quiet

Omar uses Telegram for work and wants fewer distractions. He creates a Work folder and puts it first, archives channels he follows for fun, mutes large groups, turns off sticker suggestions and sets a plain wallpaper with no motion. The app looks almost bare, which is exactly the point.

When a setting does not work

The option is missing

Update the app. Many options are recent. Then check whether the feature needs Premium, shown by a lock or star.

Settings changed by themselves

Night mode may be following your phone's system theme or a schedule. Check the auto-night or night mode option. A per-chat theme set by the other person can also change how one chat looks.

My phone and computer look different

Appearance settings are per device. Set each one separately.

Text is still too small on Desktop

Raise the interface scale rather than only the message font size; it affects the whole window.

Wallpaper looks blurry or stretched

Use a photo close to your screen's shape and resolution, or switch to a pattern or gradient, which scale cleanly.

Common mistakes

• Picking themes that look good but read badly. Test contrast in bright light.
• Using busy photos as wallpaper. Messages become hard to read; turn on blur.
• Setting a wallpaper "for both" without asking. It changes the other person's screen.
• Expecting settings to sync. Most appearance settings stay on the device where you set them.
• Installing theme files from strangers. Stick to people and sources you trust.
• Forgetting power saving. Animations and autoplay are a quiet drain on battery.

FAQ

How do I turn on dark mode in Telegram?

Open the appearance or chat settings and choose a dark theme, or set night mode to follow your system or a schedule. On Telegram Desktop, the night mode toggle in the main menu switches instantly.

Can I set a different wallpaper for each chat?

Yes. Open the chat, use the menu's wallpaper option and choose a background. You can set it for yourself only, or for both of you in a private chat.

How do I make text bigger in Telegram?

On Android, use the message text size slider in Chat Settings. On iPhone, use the text size option in Appearance or follow the system size. On Desktop, raise the interface scale.

Do my Telegram themes sync across devices?

Mostly no. Themes, text size and default wallpapers are per device. Chat themes and wallpapers set for both people in a chat appear for both participants.

Which customisation options need Telegram Premium?

Extras such as some app icons, emoji status, extra profile colours and emoji patterns need Premium. Dark mode, themes, wallpapers, text size and folders are free.

Can channel owners change how their channel looks?

Yes, within limits. Owners can set a profile photo and colours, and boosted channels can unlock extra appearance options such as custom wallpapers and colours for subscribers.

Summary

Telegram's appearance settings let you switch to dark mode, choose and edit themes, set wallpapers for all chats or one, and change text size or the whole interface scale. Per-chat themes are shared with the other person, while most other settings stay on the device where you set them. Combine looks with practical changes, such as folders, muted chats, power saving and custom sounds, and Telegram becomes easier to read and calmer to use. For more on organising your chats, start with folders and pinning.