What are Memoji? How to create an Animoji that looks like you

(Pocket-lint) – In 2017, Apple added a feature called Animoji that uses Apple’s Face ID camera system in order to map popular emoji characters to your face so that they appear to mimic your facial expressions in a real-time recording.

Apple then introduced an expansion of that feature in 2018, called Memoji. Memoji allow you to create an avatar that tracks your facial movements like Animoji, but they look like you rather than a poop emoji or robot emoji.

Here’s what you need to know about Memoji.

What are Memoji?

Memoji are personalised Animoji. It’s basically Apple’s version of Snapchat’s Bitmoji or Samsung’s AR Emoji.

These Animoji can look exactly like you (or a version of you with, say, yellow skin, blue hair, a mohawk, a ‘fro, man bun, or a cowboy hat).

As you adjust your Memoji to suit you, whether changing the head shape, brows, or eye colour, you will see the Memoji change in real-time via Message’s built-in Memoji builder tool.

How to set up Memoji and share them

1. Open Apple’s Messages app.
2. Tap the App Store icon next to the text field in a conversation thread.
3. Tap the Memoji (avatar) icon from the selection of App Store apps.
4. Tap on the three dots and select ‘New Memoji’.
5. Tap ‘New Memoji’ to open the Memoji builder.
6. While looking at your iPhone, adjust your Memoji preferences like skin and hair colour.
7. When you’re done, tap ‘done’ to save the Memoji.
8. Tap the send (blue arrow) button to send the Memoji in Messages.

Can you do anything else with Memoji?

Yes, like Animoji, you can record a live video with your custom Memoji and send them in Messages or use a Memoji in a FaceTime video call in real time.

1. Open Apple’s Messages.
2. Tap on the App Store icon to the left of the input box.
3. Tap on the Animoji (monkey) icon.
4. Select your Memoji avatar and bring your face into view.
5. Press the red button to record a live video with your custom emoji.

To use Memoji instead of your real face in a FaceTime video call: 

1. Open FaceTime.
2. Tap on the contact you want to video call.
3. Tap on the Animoji (monkey) icon.
4. Select your Memoji avatar.

You can also add effects, mark up your Memoji or add Memojis as stickers in various apps, like WhatsApp. 

Is there an example of a Memoji?

Here is an example of a Memoji we made when the feature first arrived in 2018.

Do you need anything to use Memoji?

To create Memoji, you need Apple’s Message app, iOS 12 software or later, and an iOS device with the TrueDepth camera system (i.e., the iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro or iPhone 11 Pro Max).

Want to know more?

If you want to know more about Animoji, check out Pocket-lint’s in-depth guide here.

Writing by Maggie Tillman. Editing by Britta O’Boyle.