You can now set custom colours for Google Messages chat bubbles

Users will also have the ability to create a profile, where a display picture will be displayed along with your name and contact details. This way, if you receive a message from an unknown contact, you will know.

These features are currently available in beta, and will be available in the latest version of Google Messages. The availability of features will depend on the region as well, so you may or may not receive all of these features, depending on where you stay.