How to create Meta avatar for Instagram, Messenger video calls
What's the story
Want to attend a video call but not camera-ready? No problem.
Meta has announced that it is allowing users to make real-time calls on Messenger and Instagram using avatars. The facility is available on both Android and iOS.
The tech giant is also working on ways to simplify avatar creation and sharing animated avatar stickers across various social media platforms.
Steps
How to create an avatar?
Open the Instagram app and tap the profile picture to head to your profile.
Then tap on 'Edit Profile,' followed by pressing the 'Create avatar' button. Next, click on 'Get started' to choose your avatar's skin tone.
Once personalization is complete, press 'Done' and 'Save changes' to create your avatar. Sync your Instagram and Facebook profiles, to use the same avatar on both.
Mannerisms
Avatars lend an informal air to the calls
Using avatars during video calls results in an animated conversation where the parties are speaking to each other without actually seeing them.
Depending on who you ask, it may be a useful feature for those who don't want to show their faces or a fun way to communicate with friends and family.
The avatars have enough facial movements to simulate mannerisms of real persons.
Testing
Creating avatars from selfies will be possible soon
Meta is working on ways to make avatar creation faster and simpler.
Soon, users will be able to take live selfies on Facebook and WhatsApp, and within seconds they will be suggested avatars generated from the pictures.
You will be able to choose from them and personalize them further to your liking. The company will keep refining the facility over time.
Fun
Sharing animated avatar stickers is now possible
Meta is now allowing users to share animated avatar stickers in 1:1 message threads on Messenger and Instagram, Facebook and Instagram Stories and Reels, and even Facebook comments.
Separately, users can also tag friends on Facebook Stories so that their avatars can appear together in stickers. This feature called 'Social Stickers' lets you share these stickers in a 1:1 conversation.
Information
Avatars are getting a more realistic feel
Meta is standardizing the look of avatars across all its platforms, including VR, Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, and WhatsApp. The avatars will now have a more realistic appearance and shall not look "comically oversized."