You Can Now Get the 3D Bitmoji Avatar on Your Snapchat Profile — Here's How

In the ever-growing list of Snapchat upgrades, Bitmoji has come to the forefront. For the uninitiated, Bitmoji is a fun, personalized avatar rolled out across the platform with Snapchat's acquisition of the custom emoji app back in 2016.

More recently, Bitmoji's form has changed to offer a 3D version that users can insert directly into their Snapchat profile. Here's what we know about how to get the 3D Bitmoji on Snapchat.

Thankfully, the steps for putting a 3D Bitmoji on your Snapchat profile are relatively simple. TechRadar notes that the 3D Bitmoji gives users "1,200 combinations of body poses, facial expressions, gestures, and backgrounds." The 3D Bitmoji was introduced in 2017, just a year after the regular Bitmoji was created. Now, it looks like that technology has been extended to profile avatars.

In The Hollywood Reporter's July 2021 interview with Snapchat 3D Bitmoji product designer David Whyte, he said that the inclusion of 3D Bitmoji profiles was to make the app more "expressive, fun, and personal." The report also indicates that over "70 percent of Snapchat’s 280 million daily active users have their Bitmoji avatar linked to their Snapchat accounts." Bitmoji is more popular than ever, and it shows!

So, how do you get the new 3D Bitmoji for your Snapchat profile? Here's the scoop.

First, open the Snapchat app, then choose the avatar style Bitmoji Deluxe in My Profile. If you don't see this option, be sure to download the latest version of Snapchat via an update through the App Store.

Next, hit the Profile icon at the top. In the Profile screen, scroll to find Bitmoji. Once you've found Bitmoji, select Create My Avatar and follow the instructions on the screen. However, if you already have a Bitmoji and want to link it to your Snapchat, all you have to do is click the Profile icon and then hit Add Bitmoji.

Ba Blackstock, the CEO of Bitmoji, told The Hollywood Reporter that the enormous effort to provide Bitmoji users with more Bitmoji content was a massive undertaking, but not without reason. "It’s not just about having an avatar [where] you have a picture of yourself — that’s pretty easy. It’s more about what can you do with that avatar? What part does it play in your digital life?"

Ba further explained, "Not everyone is comfortable putting photos or videos of themselves online. Bitmoji, in a way, I’ve always thought of it as a kind of digital ID. It really is this essential representation of not just what you look like but your personality." It sounds like Snapchat is still trying to find creative ways to further people's digital expression, one Bitmoji at a time.