There are some changes coming to WhatsApp that fans of this service have been waiting for. The Meta-owned platform has just announced the launch of a smart update which, it says, many of its billions of users have requested. In a message sent to Express.co.uk, WhatsApp said, "You asked for it. Here it is!"

So, what is new about this release, and when can you get it?

The first change is bringing chat themes to this messaging app. This will let users make their chats look unique by simply switching up the colourful chat bubbles and adding new backgrounds.

Once the update is installed on phones, there will be some new options in the settings menu that allow changes to those famous chat bubbles. It will then be easy to add any colour you fancy rather than being stuck with WhatsApp's famous green shade.

Those not feeling creative can also pick from one of WhatsApp's pre-set chat themes, which changes the background and bubbles automatically. There's even the ability to mix and match colours depending on how a user is feeling.

Another nice bonus is being able to apply the same theme to all chats, or make each one special with different themes.

Along with new Chat Themes, WhatsApp has also added new wallpapers as well. In fact, there are now 30 refreshed options to choose from. That should bring some new looks to the service an save the same old background being used.

Of course, it's still possible for users to add their own backgrounds via the camera roll if that's their preference.

To change the theme of the chats and channels, users will need to go to Settings > Chats > Default chat theme. To customize each chat individually, click the chat name at the top of the chat screen (on iOS), or click the 3-dot menu (on Android) > Chat theme.

So when can you get the update?

WhatsApp has confirmed that tese features are now starting to roll out, and will be available globally over the coming weeks so watch this space