WhatsApp develops custom 3D avatars for Android devices

The company plans to offer avatars to iOS users in future versions of the platform.

WhatsApp is working on personalized three-dimensional (3D) avatars with which users can participate in video calls and that they can also use in the form of ‘stickers’ both in conversations with other members of the community and in group chats on Android devices.

Since Meta, owner of the messaging platform, announced its interest in developing the metaverse, the company has been introducing the possibility of using updated and personalized three-dimensional avatars in some of its applications, such as Facebook and Messenger.

It was last February when they announced that they would be coming to Instagram for the first time, with the aim of moving towards the implementation of this alternative universe in all its services and “offering people more ways to express themselves”.

Recently, from WABetaInfo they have warned that the company is working on including these avatars in WhatsApp, an alternative set of Memoji / Birmoji (personalized avatars with human faces) that would have begun to develop in March. This option is part of the latest update for Android 2.22.15.5, developed through the Google Play Beta Program.

As they have shared from this portal, the instant messaging application will make available to users a new option within the video call interface that will allow changing the real image for that of an avatar in a future update. This is because the ‘Switch to Avatar’ button is currently under development and does not respond to pressing it yet.

On the other hand, WABetaInfo has reported that WhatsApp will also allow users to send avatars as ‘stickers’ or stickers within their individual or group chats. And it has indicated that, to configure an avatar, users must access the avatar editor, which is already included in this latest update for Android.