Facebook’s Avatars feature, which lets you create a digital version of yourself to use on Facebook and Messenger, is now available in South Africa and other sub-Saharan African countries.
“Avatars are digital personas that enable people to engage across Facebook and Messenger in a more personal and dynamic way,” the company said in a statement.
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“You can use your personalised avatar to share a range of emotions and expressions via a digital persona that is unique to you.”
The feature functions similarly to Bitmojis on Snapchat or ARmojis on Samsung devices.
You can change the appearance, hairstyle, complexion, and outfits of your avatar to make it reflect your personality and appearance.
There are also options to add cultural and religious attire, such as hijabs, saris, punjabis, headwraps, turbans, and bindis.
You can use the avatar on your news feed, gaming profile, and profile picture. You can also use it with reaction stickers in your messages.
While avatars are available locally, it seems that some users are able to access the feature before others.
How to create Facebook avatars
If the feature is available to you, there are a variety of ways to create a Facebook avatar.
If you see a friend post their avatar, Facebook provides an option for you to try out the feature yourself.
On the Facebook mobile app, you can use the Avatars tab using the dropdown menu.
You can also go to the Facebook or Messenger comment composer, click on the emoji button and then go to the sticker tab. Here you’ll find an option to “Create Your Avatar“.
If you don’t see these options or they don’t work on your profile, you may have to wait a little longer for the feature to fully roll out.
Feature image: Facebook
