Zoom Introduces Animal Avatars for Virtual Meetings
Take a walk on Zoom's wild side with new Avatars—virtual animals that mirror your head movements and facial expressions.
An "easy and entertaining way to engage with attendees and create a bit of fun," Avatars also serve as a middle ground for video attendees who want to express body language without their face appearing on camera.
The new feature is available on Windows, macOS, and iOS, and requires Zoom version 5.10.0 or higher. Once enabled, open the "Stop Video" menu in the meeting toolbar, select Choose Virtual Background or Choose Video Filter, navigate to the beta Avatars tab, and choose your favorite animal.
The current lineup includes a variety of cats, cows, dogs, foxes, rabbits, bears, and raccoons in your choice of hoodie or crew neck top. Future updates, Product Marketing Manager David Ball teased, will include "new avatars"—of what sort, he didn't say.
"This fun new feature makes it easy to inject fun into your meetings and webinars and lighten the mood, whether you're at home, in the office, or in the classroom," Ball wrote in a blog announcement, highlighting different ways to use avatars.
Perhaps you can entertain colleagues during a team-building meeting by "dressing up" as a panda bear, or get into character for storytime with loved ones. Teachers, meanwhile, are encouraged to "capture your students' attention and bring new life to your lessons" by becoming the creature you're covering. Ball even suggested pediatric doctors take on the appearance of a furry friend when discussing health and wellness with patients.
The release comes five years after Apple introduced a similar effect with Animoji, which records your voice and mannerisms as a cute critter (including the poop emoji) you can text to anyone.
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