Apple will roll out two personalization features in its Messages app as part of iOS 26: AI-generated chat backgrounds and a new emoji customization tool called Mixmoji. These additions signal a move toward more creative, user-driven messaging experiences, supported by Apple’s growing investment in on-device generative AI.
According to Nicolás Alvarez, users will be able to describe a background using natural language prompts, and the system will create an image based on that input. Apple’s internal tool, called Image Playground, will generate the visual in different styles, such as illustration, sketch, or animation.
Users can then set the background in a chat, and it will appear for everyone in that conversation. With Messages expected to get chat background customization in iOS 26, this integrates perfectly into the feature’s rollout.
Unlike WhatsApp or Telegram, where users can pick from a set of themes, this feature in Messages will let users generate completely new images tailored to each conversation. Apple is expected to handle all background generation on-device or through secure processing, consistent with its privacy-first approach to AI.
The second major addition, Mixmoji, gives users a new way to personalize emoji by merging two existing ones into a single, hybrid image. For example, users might combine a smiley face and a fire emoji to create a new animated reaction. These Mixmoji will work as stickers in the Messages app and offer a visual experience that goes beyond standard emoji reactions.
Mixmoji builds on Apple’s past features like Memoji and emoji stickers, but it adds more control and creativity to everyday interactions. Users can expect to create Mixmoji directly from the emoji keyboard, making the process fast and accessible during chats.
Both features are expected to be part of Apple’s broader “Apple Intelligence” rollout, which includes AI-powered tools across the operating system. In Messages, these tools also include context-aware replies, text summarization, and improved language translation.
More AI, More Personalization
Apple plans to showcase these updates during its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) keynote on June 9. The company will likely provide a demo of the new AI features, alongside previews of enhancements in Siri, Notes, and other core apps.
While the AI background and Mixmoji tools may not seem transformative on their own, they suggest that Apple is preparing to make its AI capabilities more visible and useful across iOS. Unlike some rivals, Apple appears focused on integrating these features in small, practical ways rather than building a separate AI app or chatbot.
The iOS 26 public beta is expected to launch shortly after WWDC, with the full release arriving in the fall. These new personalization tools, if well-received, could mark the beginning of a more expressive era in Apple’s messaging ecosystem.
