Meta Now Lets You Take Video Calls In 3D Avatar Form
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Have you ever been asked to join a video call at the worst time possible? Not willing to get onto a call with messy hair and pajamas? Why not let your 3D Meta Avatar take your place for you instead?
A new feature by Meta for Messenger and Instagram lets your digital form do the job for you. A new option named ‘Avatar’ will pop up on your screen, where you can press and transform it into your pre-made digital form. From a demo video, it looks like it will turn the call into a digital one, eliminating your background instead of laying a sticker on top of you like when using your Memoji on FaceTime.
The avatar will also mimic all your facial expressions and mouth movements. Sure, it might seem a little uncanny valley, but it could be helpful if you’re not up for people seeing you that day.
A blog post by the company explained: “We’ve all been there: A call comes in, but your hair looks like a hot mess. Or you’ve just been bawling your eyes out while re-watching From Scratch for the umpteenth time (no judgment). Sometimes, we’re just not camera-ready. Wouldn’t it be great if there were a third option between camera-off and camera-on to let you feel more present on the call? Cue your Meta Avatar.”
So essentially, this is just a new way of being present with your friends while not really being there. It harks back to Meta’s push with the metaverse, where it has been trying to move social interactions into the digital space. Most of those work best with a virtual-reality headset, which some people might not have, so this is a much more consumer-friendly way of getting people more used to digital interactions.
Additionally, there are new avatar stickers that you can mix with a friend. This allows your avatars to “hang out and do things together in the metaverse just like you do IRL.” You can find these stickers on various platforms, including Instagram, Messenger, Facebook Stories, Reels, and Facebook Comments.
[via TechCrunch and Social Media Today, images via Meta]
