In WhatsApp, You Can Be Anything. Even a Sticker

Bitmoji? Memoji? WhatsApp comes up with its own version of animated stickers based on your real appearance soon. Wouldn’t it be lovely to color up your conversation with stickers that copy your looks, based on your face and stature, following your style? If so, it should not take long, so wait for these personalized stickers to arrive soon.

This move seems like a part of the Metaverse concept with avatars, given that you can share your Facebook avatar to WhatsApp (though not in all countries). These avatars can be used across your Meta apps, making your representation on all of them continuous. And of course, every one of them lets you change avatars and choose new poses for stickers.

The result indeed is similar to Bitmoji by Snap or Memoji by Apple, though it still has a distinct Meta feel. You will be able to send these stickers as messages to both private and group chats, use them as the default picture, or share to other apps. It seems that all the stickers from the set will utilize the same version of the avatar; as you retake it, all the stickers will be recreated using the updated version of your appearance.

The version of WhatsApp that features this ability is WhatsApp Beta for Android 2.22.21.3, though not in all of its instances. The rollout of it, even as a very beta, is limited, and it’s not known yet how long it will take to roll out to more users. Neither is it know when (or if) it will make it to the stable version.

It’s not the only way WhatsApp can use animated user avatars. Another feature it may soon introduce is using avatars as substitutes for your real camera stream in video calls. It’s a great thing if you’re not in the mood or the circumstance to show your real self or environment but still want to participate in a video call.

Do you like playing with avatars and stickers on social media, adding them to your posts and messages? What do you expect from Meta and WhatsApp in particular when it comes to your digital representation? Tell us what you think about it in the comments!