Bad hair day? Not wanting to be on video? Now in Teams you can create a virtual 3D avatar of Yourself.

                                                    

A day of hybrid meetings can be exhausting, and studies show that your own video and backgrounds can distract users from actively participating in online meetings.

Research also shows that having a camera on relates highly to meeting participation, but approximately only 30% of Teams users regularly meet with their cameras on.

Using an Avatar can give you a break from the camera, while still allowing effective collaboration during meetings.

 

To get Started, Install the Avatars app:

  • On the left side of Teams, select Apps and search for Avatars.

  • Open the app.

  • (If the Avatars app doesn't appear in your search results, try selecting More added apps Microsoft Teams more options icon and searching there instead.)

 

Once open, you can begin creating your Avatar:

 

You can fully customise your Avatar from a variety of options, Categories include Body, Face, Hair, Appearance, and Wardrobe. Was good to see the inclusion of the Swandri for inclusivity 😊.

 

To Enable your Avatar in Teams:      

If you’re already in a Teams meeting, you can turn on Effects and avatars from the Teams meeting menu.

 

Select ... More > Effects and avatars, On the right side of the screen, select Avatars.

Under Your Avatar, you'll see the up to three different avatars you have created.

 

You can even use your Avatar to react to conversations, pin some frequently used reactions and have some fun in your next Teams Meeting.