When driving at night and receiving a text, the ultra harsh white background, makes it difficult to adjust after you look away from the phone.    After months of trying to find a way to change that.  There is finally a workaround.

First.  Put your hand over the camera so screen is ALL black.  Then take a picture.

Go to Message +.   In the right hand corner select Menu.  Then Customize.

Select Background.   Select the +  at the beginning of your color choices. 

Then select the black picture you just took.   Save it.  Your list will change to black background

with white lettering.   

You will also have to Customize the Outgoing bubble and the Receipent 1 bubble.

Different shades of grey work well.