Meta recently announced expanding the avatar experience to Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook. Since its introduction in 2020, over 1 billion avatars have been created across its platforms. Avatar Video Calling is similar to FaceTime’s video call feature, Memoji, and promises to make conversations more interactive and expressive.
Meta has announced that avatar video calls are now available on Instagram and Messenger, providing a third option between camera-off and camera-on. With avatar calling, it feels more like you are present on the call. This feature is available on Android and iOS devices, Instagram and Messenger. It makes the calling experience more interactive, especially if you want to avoid showing your background.
What’s new with Instagram and Messenger Avatar video calls?
This enhanced feature will allow users to participate in video calls without feeling left out. The various animations allow for better communication, even without seeing the other person. Users can quickly create an avatar on Facebook and WhatsApp by taking a live selfie and suggested avatar options will be generated from there.
- Real-Time Avatar Video Call: This creates an animated experience where friends can interact without seeing each other. It works on both Android and iOS devices by directly mimicking facial movements.
- Animated Avatar Sticker: You can use the animated avatar sticker on your stories, comments, and private messages, adding a fun and dynamic touch to your conversations and posts.
- Social Stickers: These can be used to include friends in stories and enable avatars. They can also be shared in 1:1 message threads to create inside jokes and relive shared moments.
- Avatar Creations: You can create an avatar in seconds with a selfie. Meta will then suggest an avatar, which you can fine-tune to your liking.
- Unified Avatar Looks: These can be used across Meta’s platforms, including Facebook, Messenger, and WhatsApp.
- Collaboration and Style: You and your friends can easily create stickers.
How to Create an Avatar on Instagram and Facebook
Creating an avatar on Instagram and Facebook is quick and easy, and it syncs across both platforms. Here’s how:
- Open Instagram and navigate to your profile from the bottom navigation.
- Tap on “Edit Profile” and then select “Edit Picture” or “Avatar.”
- Click the avatar icon on the right, then select “Create Avatar.”
- Follow the on-screen instructions to customize your Avatar’s skin tone, hairstyle, and outfits. Once you are finished, tap “Done” to save your changes.
How to Use Meta’s Avatar Video Calling on Instagram and Messenger
Meta’s Avatar video-calling feature is a fun way to add a personal touch to your conversations. Here’s how to use it:
- First, choose your profile picture from the upper-right corner, then select the “Avatars” option.
- If you still need to create an avatar, follow the steps above.
- Using the avatar creator, personalize the appearance of your Avatar.
- After customizing your Avatar, tap “Save.”
- Tap the avatar button in the upper-left corner when you are ready to make a video call with friends.
- Your Avatar will appear on the screen, replacing your live video feed.
This feature allows you to add a fun, graphical representation of yourself to your video calls. You can choose from various avatars, including animals like cats, dogs, and llamas. This feature was introduced to expand Meta’s avatar video-calling across all platforms, including VR. It is expected to be available on WhatsApp in future updates.
Meta has multiple avatar-related features, including animated avatar stickers that can be used in Facebook stories and reels and sent as stickers in comments. Meta has standardized many features across various platforms, including account syncing, cross-platform sharing, privacy and security, stickers, and avatars.
Meta has also announced “social stickers,” which allow you to hang out with your friends’ avatar stickers. Meta says the avatar proportions are more proportional than those across its app. However, you may find them different from the ones you are used to.