You can now make video calls on Instagram and Messenger using your avatar

Users of Instagram and Messenger can now answer and initiate video calls using their avatars, according to a recent announcement from Meta. The business claims that customers will be able to participate in video chats even when they are not camera-ready thanks to the new capability. As a result, you and your pals can converse and stare at each other on an animated video conference without actually seeing one another.

For those who prefer not to reveal their faces during some video chats, the concept of making real-time calls using your avatar may be a welcome addition. However, compared to talking on the phone with a friend or family member, it can be perceived as being a little strange and unsettling.

The new functionality is available on both iOS and Android.

Today's announcement included some additional updates on avatars that Meta shared. The business revealed that it is developing a simpler method of creating avatars on Facebook and WhatsApp where you may snap a live selfie and get an avatar suggestion based on your selfie. You can select one of these alternatives and further customize it to best reflect your personality.

Additionally, Meta stated that animated avatar stickers can now be shared in Facebook comments, Instagram 1:1 conversation threads, Instagram Stories, and Facebook Reels. You can send stickers that depict your avatar performing specific behaviors, such as dancing or slowly clapping.

Moreover, Meta is introducing stickers that will let users' avatars interact with those of their friends. Now that you may tag a few people in Facebook Stories, your avatars will co-appear in a sticker with those of your pals. With the new "Social Stickers" feature, you may share stickers with just one buddy in 1:1 conversation threads.

Users may begin to notice that VR avatars differ slightly from those in other Meta apps since the proportions are more accurate, the company says.

More than 1 billion avatars have been produced across Meta's platforms, the company said in April. Avatars were first released by the corporation in 2020 in an effort to take on Snap's Bitmoji, and since then, updates have been made to make them look more realistic. As Meta writes in today's blog post, "[A]vatars give us a glimpse of the opportunities for self-expression that will be afforded by the metaverse."