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Tech & Science
WhatsApp, owned by Meta, has officially and permanently discontinued the 3D avatar feature, with the removal gradually expanding to all users worldwide by May 2026.
WhatsApp, the application owned by Meta, has announced the official and permanent discontinuation of the 3D personal symbol feature, the 'Avatar'. This decision comes after a period of testing and gradually expanding the cancellation to include all users worldwide by May 2026.
Under this update, WhatsApp users will no longer be able to do the following:
Create or Edit: Removal of avatar customization tools (facial features, hair, and clothing).
Profile: Cancellation of the ability to set the avatar as a profile picture or as a dynamic background.
Keyboard: Deletion of the quick access point for avatars from within chat screens.
Despite the complete deletion of the feature, WhatsApp reassured users that previously created and sent stickers will not disappear. These stickers will remain available in the 'Recents' or 'Favorites' section for those who saved them, allowing them to be reused in conversations, but without the ability to generate new stickers or modify existing ones.
According to reports from WABetaInfo, the main reason for this decision is low user engagement; usage data showed that only a tiny fraction of the billions using the app interacted with the feature regularly. Consequently, Meta decided to direct its resources and developments toward more demanded and impactful features, such as artificial intelligence tools and user interface improvements (Liquid Glass).
You can check your account through the following steps:
Go to Settings within the app.
Look for the Avatar section.
If you see a message stating that editing is not possible, or if the section has disappeared entirely, this means the feature has been officially withdrawn from your account.
