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Meta expands its Memoji-like 3D Avatars to Instagram, Messenger, and more

If you find Apple’s Memoji so 2017, think it over, as Meta is rolling to the US and selected countries an overhauled 3D Avatar feature for Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and, why not – the metaverse.

In a blog post, Meta announces that the company is “expanding Avatars so that they better reflect the billions of unique people on this planet.” With that, Meta’s adding new facial shapes and assistive devices for people with disabilities – the same Apple has been doing with its major iOS updates with Memoji.

Apart from Facebook and Messenger, 3D Avatars will also be available for Instagram Stories and DMs. This feature is available in the US, Canada, and Mexico. Meta explains that these 3D Avatars can be set as people’s “virtual self across apps via stickers, feed posts, Facebook profile pictures, and more.”

VR and Quest are key parts of our metaverse vision (…) rolling out avatars across our platforms is an early step towards making this a reality. We hope your new virtual self enables you to be represented online the way you want — whether that’s to friends and family, your local community or beyond.

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If you previously created an avatar on Facebook in the past, the company will revamp your avatar to make sure “your new-and-improved self matches the choices you made previously.”

Meta lets you know that you can create three different avatars for each one of your social networks: one for Facebook and Messenger, another for Instagram, and a third for VR. If you set up Accounts Center and choose to sync your avatar, any changes you make on Facebook and Messenger will automatically appear on Instagram as well, and vice-versa.

What do you think about the 3D Avatar? Better than Apple’s Memoji? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

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