Quick Answer
You can use your WhatsApp camera to take a profile photo that will be displayed as your avatar in chats. Here’s how:
- Open WhatsApp and tap on your profile icon in the top right.
- Tap on your current profile photo and select “Change photo”.
- Choose to take a photo with your front or back camera.
- Position yourself in the frame and tap the camera icon to take the photo.
- Tap “OK” to set the photo as your new WhatsApp avatar.
The profile photo you take will automatically be cropped into a circle and set as your avatar that appears in all your WhatsApp chats. You can repeat this process at any time to change your avatar photo.
What are the benefits of setting a WhatsApp avatar?
Here are some of the benefits of setting a personalized avatar with your WhatsApp camera:
- Lets your contacts see your face – An avatar makes chats feel more personal.
- Represents your identity – It’s you in your WhatsApp conversations.
- Customizable anytime – Change it up whenever you want a fresh look.
- Reflects your mood – Swap it for a funny or festive avatar when the occasion calls for it.
- Free and easy – Taking the photo through WhatsApp makes it simple to create.
Having your own WhatsApp avatar can help convey your personality and gives your chats a human touch. It only takes a moment to snap a selfie and make it your profile photo anytime.
What type of photo should I use for my WhatsApp avatar?
When selecting a photo for your WhatsApp profile, it’s best to choose a clear, high-quality headshot showing your face, similar to a passport photo. Here are some avatar photo tips:
- Face the light – Position yourself facing a window or light source to avoid shadows on your face.
- Look into the camera – Make eye contact with the camera for an engaging avatar.
- Get close – Frame just your head and shoulders in a close-up shot.
- Smile naturally – A relaxed, friendly expression makes a nice avatar.
- Clear background – Solid wall or blank surface behind you to keep the focus on you.
- Sharp focus – Adjust your camera so your face is in crisp focus.
Avoid busy backgrounds, poor lighting, or blurry selfies for your avatar. The photo will be visible small, so make sure people can clearly recognize your face.
How do I take a good WhatsApp selfie for my avatar?
Taking a great selfie for your WhatsApp profile requires good technique and the right tools. Follow these selfie-taking tips:
- Use the rear camera – Rear cameras have higher resolution for crisper shots.
- Hold phone at eye level – Keeps your face proportional and not distorted.
- Use a selfie stick – Allows you to frame yourself from further away for better focus.
- Take burst shots – Capture multiple selfies in a row and pick the best.
- Use portrait mode – Creates an artfully blurred background to highlight you.
- Adjust lighting – Move to a window or add a portable light for flattering illumination.
- Emphasize eyes – Look slightly upward at the camera to open up your eyes.
- Relax your expression – A natural, relaxed look is most photogenic.
- Crop it nicely – Zoom in and center your headshot in the frame.
Practice taking WhatsApp selfies when you have good lighting available. Take profile photo options both indoors and outdoors. Get a friend’s opinion to help select your most flattering, eye-catching avatar selfie.
What should I avoid when taking a WhatsApp selfie avatar?
Certain selfie mistakes can result in unflattering, awkward, or simply bad WhatsApp avatar photos. Be sure to avoid:
- Blurry or pixelated shots
- Dark, grainy, or hazy lighting
- Distracting backgrounds
- Wearing sunglasses or a hat that hides your face
- Unnatural expressions or overdone makeup
- Cropping out the top of your head
- Staring off-camera instead of into the lens
- Face shadowed from the light source
- Distorted angles or tilted horizons
- Appearing distracted mid-activity or conversation
- Hair covering part of your face
Review your WhatsApp selfies carefully before setting your avatar. Retake it if needed until you have a high-quality shot showing your face clearly.
What are some creative ideas for a WhatsApp avatar photo?
Beyond a normal headshot, you can get creative with fun avatar ideas that show off your personality:
- Themed costumes or accessories for holidays
- Pop art or graphic filters
- Silly faces or expressions
- Movie or TV show characters
- Cosplay or anime avatars
- Using props in the shot
- Fun frames or stickers around your photo
- Decorating your hair
- Creative angles or poses
- Matching with a friend in split-screen
Come up with an avatar concept that reflects your unique interests or sense of humor. Get playful with digital effects, backgrounds, costumes and more. Change it regularly to keep your WhatsApp fresh and colorful.
How do I edit my WhatsApp avatar after taking a photo?
If you want to modify your WhatsApp profile photo after taking it, use these editing options:
- Crop – Zoom and trim to frame just your face.
- Filters – Add a tint, color wash, or other styling filters.
- Draw – Use a pen or highlighter tool to create doodles or effects.
- Text – Insert text captions or stickers into your avatar.
- Emoji – Overlay fun emoji stickers on your selfie.
- Tune image – Adjust color saturation, brightness, warmth and more.
- Blur background – Blur the area around you to emphasize your face.
- Vignette – Apply artistic shadows fading from the center.
WhatsApp’s built-in editing tools allow you to get creative with your avatar. Use stylized filters or accessorize your photo with stickers, drawings, text, and emoji art.
Can I use an existing photo for my WhatsApp avatar?
Yes, you can select an existing photo from your phone’s gallery to use as your WhatsApp profile picture instead of taking a new one directly through WhatsApp. Here’s how:
- Open WhatsApp and tap your profile icon.
- Tap your current avatar photo.
- Tap “Select photo from gallery”.
- Browse and select a photo from your phone’s storage.
- Crop or edit the photo as needed.
- Tap “OK” to set as your WhatsApp avatar.
Virtually any photo saved on your phone can be your WhatsApp avatar, whether it’s a great selfie, professional headshot, or any fun picture of you. Cropping it to a closeup face image generally works best.
Can I use my Bitmoji as a WhatsApp avatar?
Bitmoji are customized cartoon avatars you can create to represent yourself. You can use your personalized Bitmoji avatar as your WhatsApp profile picture if you link your Bitmoji app account. Here’s how:
- Make sure you’ve downloaded the Bitmoji app and created your avatar.
- In Bitmoji, grant permission for WhatsApp access when prompted.
- In WhatsApp, tap your profile and select “Change photo”.
- Choose “Take photo from Bitmoji”
- Select your Bitmoji and tap “OK” to set it as your avatar.
Your expressive Bitmoji avatar will then appear in all your WhatsApp chats. You can return to Bitmoji at any time to update your avatar’s outfits, looks, and moods.
Can I hide my WhatsApp avatar?
If you want to conceal your profile photo in WhatsApp, you have a few options:
- Delete your avatar – Tap your profile, tap your photo, and select “Delete photo”. This removes it completely.
- Set a blank avatar – Edit your photo and cover your face or the entire image with solid color fill or stickers.
- Use anonymous avatar – WhatsApp has a default gray anonymous avatar you can select.
However, hiding your avatar causes you to appear anonymous without an identity on WhatsApp. Your contacts may find this confusing or concerning.
An alternative is to display your initials, a cartoon avatar, Bitmoji, or an icon that represents you without revealing your full appearance. This gives you some privacy while still having a profile photo.
Can I customize my WhatsApp avatar’s background?
Unfortunately, WhatsApp does not currently allow customizing the background behind your profile photo. Your avatar is displayed with a plain white background.
Some workarounds include:
- Taking your selfie photo in front of a colored wall or backdrop.
- Adding background graphics within your photo editing app before setting it as your WhatsApp avatar.
- Using photo editing tools to fill in color behind you in the picture.
- Selecting a Bitmoji or other cartoon avatar with a decorative background.
While you can’t directly customize the background color or image in WhatsApp itself, taking your profile photo in the context you want or editing it beforehand gives some ability to creatively integrate your avatar’s background.
Does my WhatsApp avatar sync across multiple devices?
Yes, when you set or change your WhatsApp profile photo, it automatically syncs across all your linked devices using the same account.
Your avatar will update on your:
- Smartphone
- Tablet
- Desktop
- Web browser
You’ll see the same latest avatar on WhatsApp on all platforms. If you ever lose your phone, you can still change your avatar from your tablet, computer, or the WhatsApp Web interface accessed from any browser.
Syncing happens in real-time, so your avatar appears updated simultaneously across devices. Change it in one place and it reflects everywhere.
Can I revert to an old WhatsApp avatar if I change the photo?
Unfortunately, WhatsApp does not have a profile photo history or archive. When you change your avatar photo, your previous profile pictures are permanently deleted.
However, you can manually save old WhatsApp avatar photos to your device’s storage or cloud photo library before changing your profile image:
- On Android: Tap and hold your current avatar and select “Save to device gallery” to save a copy externally before changing it.
- On iPhone: Screenshot your current profile photo from your account settings to save it before updating your avatar.
Alternatively, use a third-party backup tool or Google Photos/iCloud syncing to preserve your past WhatsApp avatars. You can then re-upload the old avatars anytime. But WhatsApp itself does not retain your avatar history.
Is my WhatsApp avatar protected by privacy settings?
Your WhatsApp privacy settings allow you to control who can see your profile photo:
- Everyone – Public avatar visible to all your contacts and anyone in shared groups.
- My Contacts – Avatar only visible to your contacts who have your number saved.
- Nobody – Avatar hidden from everyone except you.
Set your privacy settings to Only Share With Contacts or Nobody to limit avatar visibility. This prevents strangers or unwanted connections from viewing your avatar. Customize who can see your profile photo for your desired privacy level.
Conclusion
Your WhatsApp avatar acts as your digital identity and brand. Snap an appealing, high-quality selfie to represent yourself with confidence. Take advantage of camera tools, editing options, and creative ideas to showcase your personality. Display a photo you love so your avatar leaves a great impression on every chat.