Happy New Year from Messenger – celebrate Lunar New Year with new effects

Today, Messenger is celebrating the Year of the Tiger with the release of Lunar New Year-inspired features to help get you and your crew ready for the new year. 2022 is the year of the Tiger, which is all about risk-taking and adventure. Messenger was born in the year of the Rabbit – which year were you born in? 🐯🐀🐮🐰🐍🐲🐐🐴🐵🐔🐶🐷 

The expressive features include a chat theme and sticker pack designed by graphic designer and illustrator Naomi Otsu, a Lion Dance group effect and 3D Avatar stickers. Whether you were born in the year of the Tiger, Ram, Snake or Pig, we have everything you need to help you celebrate the moment with your friends and family… even if you’re not able to celebrate in person!

Earlier this week, we announced we’re updating Meta Avatars to make them more inclusive and authentic with a lot more expressions, faces and skin tones, including wheelchairs and hearing aids, as well as new 3D Avatars. Starting today, people in the United States, Canada and Mexico can use their 3D avatar stickers to send red envelopes, a traditional Lunar New Year gift, to friends on Facebook and Messenger.

If you don’t have an Avatar:

1. In a Messenger 💬 chat, tap your profile picture in the top left.
2. Tap Avatar.
3. Tap Make your avatar to open the Facebook app. If you do not have the Facebook app, you will be prompted to download it to continue.
4. Customize! Choose your hairstyle, hair color, face shape, skin tone, eye color, accessories, and more! You can tap 🪞 to see yourself on camera while you create your avatar.
5. Tap Done in the top right, then Finish to save and create your avatar.
6. Tapto view your avatar sticker pack, select the Lunar New Year sticker and share your avatar as a sticker!

If you already have an Avatar:

1. In a Messenger 💬 chat, tap your profile picture in the top left.
2. Tap Edit your avatar.
3. Tap ✏️ .
4. Tap Done in the top right, then Finish to save.

To share stickers of your personalized avatar in a Messenger chat:

1. From 💬 Chats, tap a conversation to open it.
2. Tap smiley face.
3. Tap the sticker icon.
4. Tap to view your avatar sticker pack.
5. Choose the Lunar New Year sticker and send!

From the team at Messenger, we hope you enjoy the celebrations with the people who matter most. Cheers to a year of strength, power and prosperity! 🐯