WhatsApp Rolls Out Support for Meta's Avatars

[MacRumors]

Avatars are officially coming to WhatsApp. The customizable, expressive characters, which are already available on Facebook and Instagram, can now be used as profile pictures on the messaging service or sent in the form of one of 36 custom stickers.

The process of customizing the cartoony virtual characters is similar to Apple's Memoji, except WhatsApp's avatars also include bodies for customizing additional outfits, which makes them resemble how users could one day look in Mark Zuckerberg's vision of a future metaverse.

Apart from being fun, Meta says the avatars will boost privacy and personalization. "Sending an avatar is a fast and fun way to share feelings with friends and family," the company wrote in a blog post. "It can also be a great way to represent yourself without using your real photo so it feels more private."

To see if the feature has rolled out to you yet, open WhatsApp, go to the Settings screen, then check under your profile picture for an Avatar menu option. From there you'll be able to create an avatar using a variety of outfits, hairstyles, and facial features, offering users "billions of combinations" for creating their virtual analogue, according to Meta.

Article Link: WhatsApp Rolls Out Support for Meta's Avatars

 

[Kissmo1980]

Is it me or this is just sad and terrifying?

 

[giggles]

Memoji vs discount Memoji: the battle of this decade.
Soon in a metaverse near you.

 

[Ctrlos]

I'm amazed Microsoft haven't sued them yet.

 

[ChineseBots]

All these "updates" and they can't make an iPad version.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Seems like WhatsApp is running out of ideas. If I had to pick I would pick Apple's Memoji over this.

 

[xDENTALPLANx]

The design of these avatars is awful. If they are supposed to represent people in the Metaverse then it’s another reason to avoid ever using it.

 

[scottishwildcat]

Is it me or this is just sad and terrifying?

No more than Memoji, or Miis, or Xbox avatars, all of which look remarkably similar.

 

[scottishwildcat]

The design of these avatars is awful. If they are supposed to represent people in the Metaverse then it’s another reason to avoid ever using it.

I wouldn't have known they weren't Memoji if I hadn't seen them in the context of the article. (Yes, I know Memoji don't have legs. No, I never use any of these things on any platform, so they all look much the same to me.)

 

[amartinez1660]

I do get the logic and appeal of being less exposed by using avatars… but unless all the photos and videos posted around online are also only avatars, then the whole thing strikes me as contradictory.

“I respect my privacy” then proceeds to post pictures of themselves with what was breakfasted and lunched with whom on which attraction park of a specific city all around Facebook and Instagram (which are anti privacy already). People might even get a glimpse of info later that day if said breakfast was spoiled.

There’s something seriously uncanny about these avatars, can’t point it, maybe the way their necks and generic poses bend because of the proportions. Pixar would be the ultimate avatar designer with decades making all sorts of cartoony but realistic characters under their belt.

 

[Reason077]

Memojis are a runaway hit! Given their popularity, WhatsApp was bound to copy them sooner or later. /s

 

[eduardodfj]

Avatars as a significant adition or novelty. Sad.

 

[Harvey Zoltan]

One word – Dreadful (no matter who creates them).

 

[haruhiko]

It’s way uglier than Wii’s avatars (Mii) back in 2006.

 

[mectojic]

No one cares about Meta. And people who respect privacy need to quit Whatsapp.

 

[Kissmo1980]

No more than Memoji, or Miis, or Xbox avatars, all of which look remarkably similar.

I was talking about the context of the commercial not the looks of the Avatars.

 

[No5tromo]

No thanks, Apple didn't lure me with that, Meta definitely won't. I'll be sticking to old school yellow emojis.
Also, nice lowkey metaverse promo attempt Meta but I'll have none thanks.

 

[Kylo83]

Never even used Memojis maybe WhatsApp should actually do some work on the Mac app and add Apple silicon support

 

[timber]

Never liked avatar emojis or whatever they are called in any platform and I extend my despise for the Facebook ones.

 

[martin2345uk]

Yeah well done Mark, this is EXACTLY what us WhatsApp users have been clamouring for. You nailed it.

 

[Dejesus]

You can see almost everything to do your avatar, but not beauty not normative like big nose, big ears, fat people, not symmetric face.... This is the last frontier of emojis, but people is like this too. Is ok to put in emoji different skin tones, religions, hair colors, but not big nose. Is stupid and very harmful for kids and young people that can't accept his body because is not on the norm. Fix that apple and meta, please.

 

[Marbles1]

We have truly reached rock bottom when this is newsworthy material.

Don't worry, the editors will be along soon with a 'Nothing Phone' post confirming that the Nothing Phone is compatible with WhatsApp avatars. So great to get all these useful Mac rumours.

 

[Marbles1]

You can see almost everything to do your avatar, but not beauty not normative like big nose, big ears, fat people, not symmetric face.... This is the last frontier of emojis, but people is like this too. Is ok to put in emoji different skin tones, religions, hair colors, but not big nose. Is stupid and very harmful for kids and young people that can't accept his body because is not on the norm. Fix that apple and meta, please.

An interesting point - yes it's a cartoon version but it's a bit like the bruce willis 'Surrogates' film where people sit in their apartments but control avatars who are perfect, smooth skinned and ageless flesh robot version of themselves in the real world. being encouraged to create a perfectly symmetrical white teethed avatar is not a good thing.

Who is pushing this weird 'use your avatar instead of your own picture' stuff?

 

[JustSomebody12]

All these "updates" and they can't make an iPad version.

They are making it for Android.

‘Nough said.

 

[philcourage]

I feel like Zuckerberg bet all his money to the wrong horse and now he is like the people who fall into the nigerian prince scam, he wants to believe.

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