As a way of welcoming the Lunar New Year, Meta has added a bunch
of new tools to Messenger, including themed stickers, AR effects, and updated 3D
avatar tools.
The new stickers feature a range of adorable tiger animations,
as this Lunar Year is the Year of the Tiger, while the new AR effect has been designed
to show the group Lion Dance.
More AR effects can be seen in the new chat themes and Word
Effects that also align with the Tiger theme of the Year.
As for the updated 3D avatars, you will now be able to send red
letter envelopes to your friends in the app via the avatars, which resembles a
special Lunar Year gesture of exchanging gifts.
Most of these new tools are not anything major, however,
with the 3D avatar creation tools, Meta is making Messenger a more engaging
messaging space where users can create digital representations of themselves. On
special occasions, having the ability to use these avatars to make meaningful
gestures is a fun and creative way to interact with friends and family. The AR
and VR tools are Meta’s focus in terms of promoting new forms of connection
across its platforms.
