Facebook’s Avatars have finally rolled out in the U.S., providing a useful new tool to socially distanced Americans worried they’ll forget what their friends look like.
Much like Bitmoji or those pixellated doll makers from the ’90s, Facebook’s Avatars let you create a cartoonish likeness of yourself which you can attach to your instant messages. You can choose between a variety of expressions for your Zucksona as well, all the better to convey sarcasm with. It’s basically a personalised emoji for when you’re feeling a bit too fragile to send a selfie.
“There are so many different ways you can use your avatar including in comments, Stories, Messenger — and soon text posts with backgrounds, too,” wrote Facebook’s Fidji Simo in a post on Wednesday.
Facebook is also adding more customisation options to Avatars to coincide with their U.S. launch, including “new hairstyles, complexions and outfits.” Avatars have been available in Australia and Europe for a while, so people who are already using them will be able to update their look.
To make your own Avatar in Facebook’s mobile app, click or tap on the smiley button that appears to the right of the text box when writing a comment. You should then be given the option to create your own Avatar.
Simo wrote that users can make their Avatars in Facebook or Messenger by clicking the smiley face and then the sticker tab. However, Avatar creation only seemed to work in Facebook’s mobile app when Mashable tested it out. You also can’t access the Avatar builder from a new post — it has to be via the comment composer on an old post.
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Click that little smiley face to make your Avatar, then spam your group chats with your face.
Image: Facebook
Fortunately, creating your Avatar in the app will give you access to it in Facebook on your browser as well as in Messenger via the sticker button. You’ll have to jump back on the Facebook app if you want to edit your excessively expressive doppelgänger, though.
Avatars are still rolling out in the U.S., so not everybody will see them yet. However Simo assured users it will reach them “soon.”