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Bitmojis are among the many ways to personalize your texting experience. They are cartoon versions of yourself and can express multiple reactions, from anger and sadness to joy or goofiness. You can customize these avatars with different clothing choices and send them in chats. While they're popular on Snapchat, that's not the only place to use them. If you have an account on Telegram, WhatsApp, or one of the other social media apps, Bitmojis are available to you.
The metaverse is spreading to WhatsApp, with the release of avatars looming
Beta testers can create their virtual selves now
WhatsApp continually adds new features, like we just saw with it getting the ability to create and share links to WhatsApp video and voice calls. Since it's owned by Meta, though, sometimes those new additions feel more in service of its parent's goals than anything — and right now, that means all things metaverse. We first learned about WhatsApp’s plans to implement Facebook’s Bitmoji-style avatars earlier this year, and now they're finally starting to arrive for some beta testers.
The latest updates for the OnePlus 7 and 7T series include a bunch of bloatware and not much else
At least August's security patch is here
OnePlus doesn't have the best reputation for software updates, though a recent re-commitment seems to have things moving a little faster than before. Just over a month after the company (sort of) fixed HD playback issues on its 2019 flagships, it's returned with yet another refresh. The OnePlus 7 and 7T series are both receiving updates today, though this one may rub some salt into the wounds of owners everywhere.
It's tough to use Snapchat without running into Bitmoji. Even if you don't care much for its custom avatars, you'll find them everywhere throughout the app. Bitmojis are in your stickers, the Discover feed, and even your keyboard. With its latest update, Snapchat has pushed its avatars into the third dimension, though it's limited to the Snap Profile for now.
OnePlus 8, 8 Pro, and 8T get new OxygenOS 11 betas with Bitmoji AOD support
Why ship a stable update when you can add customizable avatars?
We've been combing through the finer details of the first Android 12 beta this week, but it's not the only operating system you can test out right now. If you're using a OnePlus 8, 8 Pro, or 8T, the OxygenOS 11 open beta program helps keep your phone feeling fresh between stable software releases. New software is now available for all three phones, complete with plenty of bug fixes and an unexpected change to the always-on display.
About two years ago, around the time when Apple introduced its Memojis, Google countered with the addition of Snapchat Bitmoji in Gboard. You'd be forgiven if you've long forgotten about the custom stickers created based on images of you, but in an attempt to bring them back, Google has now added a new extra Bitmoji tab to its keyboard, even if you don't have the respective app installed.
Facebook is trialing a way to personalize the engagement its users can have with the content on its platform. Avatars are currently being tested in Australia as a Bitmoji-like addition to standard reactions and generated GIFs. A global roll-out is reportedly targeted for later this year at the earliest, but there are questions about how big of a draw this feature will be for existing users as well as departed users that may want to make a return.
Snap Inc. is giving third-party developers the ability to integrate some of Snapchat’s best features into their own apps with the introduction of its new Snap Kit. Its tools will make it easier for users to share updates with their Snapchat friends, use Bitmoji on other platforms, and more.
The Gboard team has unleashed a fresh beta of version 7.3. There's nothing immediately popping up as a brand new change or feature, but there is a lot to look at in the teardown. There are some big practical features coming, like OCR and improved handling for Battery Saver mode; but there are also some fun features like a text tool and new special effects for your custom GIFs.
The announcement late last year that Snap intended to completely rebuild the Snapchat app has been welcomed by frustrated users. A fresh design followed, and since then we've also heard that Stories will soon be available on the web. The latest crumb of news to come out of Snap Inc. brings word that there's a new update for its other popular app, Bitmoji, offering tons of new styles.
Yesterday brought us a new version of Gboard, bumping the version number up to 6.9. There's not much in the way of changes that you'll see right away, but there is now a semi-hidden feature that will tell you about changes when they happen. However, a deeper look into the APK does reveal plans to add a feature that provides suggested responses to go with messaging apps that implement Direct Replies. Also, the MAKE A GIF feature from the iOS version is making the jump to Android, Bitmoji support is getting baked in, and there's a universal search feature in the works.
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- After a short beta test, Google has officially announced sticker support in Gboard and clarified that it only works for your selfie sticker pack in Allo (that's why I wasn't seeing any stickers in Gboard, despite having many packs installed in Allo) and provided a handy link to browse all the compatible packs on the Play Store.
Last year, Gboard was updated with the ability to insert GIFs directly into any supported app. This initially only worked on Android 7.1 or higher, but was soon expanded to older versions as well. Google has now gone one step further with the latest Gboard beta, as you can now insert stickers and Bitmoji as well.
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Some messaging applications allow you to add shortcuts for contacts to the home screen, and now Snapchat has added a variation of that feature. Snapchat 10.4 beta allows users to create home screen widgets for their friends, but only if they have a Bitmoji.
You can use a photo of yourself across the web, but if you want to have some fun and maintain a semblance of anonymity on the web, you can use a cartoony avatar instead. You could dig up your old Yahoo one, but chances are you've moved on. You're using a Bitmoji and creating comic strips about your friends.
If you've seen a couple of your friends flood their social feeds with single-panel comic strips starring people they know, chances are they didn't all suddenly learn how to draw at once. More than likely, they've all developed an affection for Bitstrips, a means for people to easily create avatars and inject them into comical situations.