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How to make a Facebook avatar

You’ve probably seen people posting avatars that look almost like Bitmoji or Memoji avatars all over your Facebook feed. If you can’t figure out how to get your own, don’t worry. The process isn’t very obvious, but once you know what to look for, setting up your avatar is easy. Here’s how to how to make a Facebook avatar and how to use your own mini-me.

How to find the avatar option

Facebook Avatar options
Image used with permission by copyright holder

To get to the setup, open the Facebook app and tap on the menu. Then, tap on See More and Avatars. Now you should be looking at the avatar creation screen. From here you can choose the skin tone, face shape, hairstyle, facial features, body shape, and clothing for your avatar.

If you can’t remember what your particular facial features look like while you’re setting up your avatar, just tap on the mirror icon in the upper right corner. Your camera will open and you will be able to look at yourself in a little rectangle while you choose facial features.

Once you’re done, click the checkmark icon to save your avatar. Now it’s ready to use.

How to use your Facebook Avatar

Facebook Avatar Sharing Options
Image used with permission by copyright holder

You can also locate the stickers through the avatar section of the app. After you’ve finished designing your avatar, you will see three icons on the screen’s upper right. Tap on the Sticker icon, and you will see all of your available custom avatar stickers to use. Once you pick your favorite, tap on the sticker and choose either the “Send in Messenger” or “More Options” buttons. If you choose More Options, a new screen will open, and you’ll see a wide range of sharing options for your convenience, from email to your Facebook feed. For example, if you choose Send in Messenger, you can pick who to send your sticker in your contact list.

If you would like, you can also turn your new avatar into your Facebook profile picture. To do this, just go back to Facebook’s avatar section by navigating to the menu, then tapping “See More” and “Avatars.” Your new avatar will be standing there patiently, ready to go.

In the upper right corner of your screen, you will see three icons. If you tap the arrow icon, a menu will appear. From there, choose “Set as Profile Picture,” then pick a pose you’re into from the list and the background that matches. Lastly, tap the “Next” button to view your options. 

You can choose to change your profile picture to your avatar permanently or temporarily. Clicking the standard “save” option will make it permanent, just like any other profile picture. If you choose “7 days,” it will make the change temporary, and your profile picture will revert to what it was before after a week.

How to edit your Facebook Avatar

People who are continually updating their appearance might also enjoy tweaking their avatar to match their current look. Even if your style doesn’t change much, you might want to update your avatar if it’s been a while. To do so, tap on the pencil icon in the upper right-hand corner of your screen, which will lead you to your avatar’s creation screen. From there, start implementing any changes you want to make.

You can use the tool to make drastic changes to your avatar or just switch up the avatar’s outfit to reflect your current mood.

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Alina Bradford
Alina Bradford has been a tech, lifestyle and science writer for more than 20 years. Her work is read by millions each month…
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