With many individuals still not into the idea of showing their face on video calls, Meta has taken suggestions into account and launched cartoon avatars for video calls on Instagram and Messenger.

“Wouldn’t it be great if there were a third option between camera-off and camera-on to let you feel a little more present on the call?”

The cartoon avatars are able to follow the user’s face and capture gestures including eye rolls. The avatars are able to respond similarly to Apple’s Memoji avatars on FaceTime.

The new feature works with iOS and Android, and users are able to select a cartoon avatar that best suits their personality.

This comes as part of a grand metaverse plan, envisioning a virtual reality world.

The company is also reportedly working on a tool for Facebook and WhatsApp allowing for an easier building of an avatar just by taking a live selfie. The update is expected soon.

Along with this, it is also planning the launch of animated avatar stickers on Instagram and Facebook stories and reels, Facebook comments, and 1-to-1 message threads on Messenger and Instagram.

Meta are standardising the look of avatars, “so the way you show up in VR will match how you show up on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp.”