Meta has been working on creating a more immersive and expressive digital world, one that bridges VR and AR through the metaverse, an interconnected digital world where you can interact with others in virtual spaces. One of the key features of Meta’s vision of the metaverse is avatars, which are virtual representations of yourself that you can customize and use across Meta’s platforms, including Instagram, Messenger, Facebook, and Quest VR. Meta Avatars have been designed to allow you to express yourself in creative and fun ways, as well as to be more inclusive of users with disabilities, as Meta has added new facial shapes and assistive devices like cochlear implants, hearing aids, and wheelchairs to its avatar options.

Meta has recently announced some new features that will let you make more use of the Meta Avatars on Instagram and Messenger. Here are some of the highlights:

• You can now use your avatar for video calls on Instagram and Messenger. This is great for those times when you’re not camera-ready or just want to spice up your conversations. Meta says the apps will use your phone’s video camera to replicate your facial expressions on the avatar’s face, making it more lifelike and engaging.
• You can also use animated avatar stickers for Instagram, Facebook Stories and Reels, and one-on-one message threads on Messenger and Instagram. These stickers will show your avatar in different poses and emotions, adding some personality and flair to your posts and messages.
• You can create your avatar on Facebook and WhatsApp just by taking a live selfie and having the app generate the avatar for you. This is a convenient and fast way to create your virtual self, though this feature is currently only available to a limited audience as a test.

Meta says these new features are part of its ongoing effort to build out the metaverse, where you can have more immersive and meaningful social experiences with your friends and family. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said that one day you’ll have multiple avatars ranging from expressive to cartoony to photorealistic, depending on the context and platform.

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