TikTok introduces customizable avatars as video effect

TikTok has introduced customizable avatars. Users can use the avatars as an effect in videos on the platform. The feature is reminiscent of the Memoji feature of iPhones and similar features in other phones.

The avatars can be found under Effects in the app’s video editor, says the company† Creating the avatar is all about the face, the software does not replace the rest of the body. Users can adjust the face shape and elements such as eye color and hair color, among other things.

The avatars can then follow the facial expressions of users to a limited extent. This happens on all phones, it seems, only with the front camera, unlike Apple’s Memoji feature, which uses depth information from its own sensors for the feature.

The avatars can be used immediately worldwide, says TikTok parent company ByteDance. It is, however, a test version. The intention is to further develop the avatars in the near future and to place them as a fixed element in the app.