Make Your Own Memoji

Animoji brought some of our favorite emoji to life by putting our voices and facial expressions into animated monkeys, aliens, and unicorns. Memoji up the ante by letting you create (and share) an avatar that not only sounds and moves like you but looks like you as well. With Memoji, you finally get to animate your face—and who hasn’t wanted to look like a live cartoon?

Both Animoji and Memoji are available on iPhone X or later, the 11-inch iPad Pro, and the third-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

Got one of those devices? Good. Here’s what to do next.

To begin, open a conversation in Messages and tap the Animoji icon (the one with a monkey face). You'll see a row of Animoji pop up—swipe all the way to the left and tap the plus sign. From here customize the different features to make your Memoji look just like you. (Or not like you! Go ahead and make a digital version of your aunt if you want. She’d probably be cool with that.)

Customize your Memoji’s skin, hairstyle, head shape, eyes, brows, nose, lips, ears, facial hair, eyewear, and headwear. With any color you pick—whether for skin, hair, glasses, or a hat—a slider tool lets you choose a precise shade so you can get your blue skin and purple hair just so.

When styling your hair, add a second color if you like—ideal for highlights (or a salt-and-pepper look, as the case may be). With eyeglass frames, add a tint of color to the lenses to turn them into sunglasses.

And remember: You can make dozens of Memoji characters. So create one of your best friend, one of your mom or dad, one of your significant other, and one of you as a superhero who needs to alter your appearance for national security purposes. (It happens.)

Once you’ve made your Memoji, you’ll definitely want to share it. Notice that when you select a Memoji, your iPhone or iPad Pro’s TrueDepth camera is able to animate your avatar with whatever expression you’re making. Stick out your tongue and your Memoji will follow suit.

To record a Memoji video, tap the big red button to capture up to 30 seconds of antics. Swipe left or right to switch to another Memoji or Animoji. You can also share your Memoji as a sticker. To do this, tap and hold it, then drag it into a message conversation.

Another fun option: Take a Memoji selfie using the Messages camera. Just tap the camera icon to the left of the text-entry box, then tap the star icon in the lower left corner to bring up the Animoji icon. Tap that and pick the Memoji or Animoji you’d like to replace your face in a selfie.

In FaceTime, you can place your Memoji over your mug, as a giant animated mask of sorts.

To do this, place a call in FaceTime and tap the Animoji icon in the lower left corner. Doing this will bring up all the Memoji (and Animoji) you’ve made.

Tap on the one you’d like to use, then tap back on the call screen to return to the conversation—surprising the heck out of whoever’s on the other end.

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