As a part of the Lunar New Year celebration, Messenger yesterday launches a brand new Lunar New Year Chat Theme, a Year of the Tiger sticker pack designed by graphic designer and illustrator Naomi Otsu, a Lion Dance group effect and 3D Avatar stickers.

To activate the new Lunar New Year Chat Theme, open Messenger or Instagram and choose any chat that you want to change chat theme, then tap the “i” button located at the top of the right corner and tap on “Theme” and there you will see the “Lunar New Year” chat theme at the top, just tap on it and return to the chat and see the background of the chat. If you don’t see Lunar New Year chat theme, then please try to update your Messenger or Instagram app first.

To use the new Year of the Tiger sticker pack by graphic designer and illustrator “Naomi Otsu,” the first thing you need is to download the Year of the Tiger sticker pack, to do that, open any chat and tap on the “smiley face” icon and tap the “sticker icon” and then choose the “Sticker Store” which is located at the right side of the bottom and then at the first place, you will see the “Year of the Tiger” sticker pack by Naomi Otsu, now tap the blue download button to start downloading this sticker pack. Once the download has finished, then again simply tap the smiley face icon, choose the sticker tab and now will see all stickers of “Year of the Tiger,” just tap it and send it to your friends.

Messenger also updates its Meta Avatars to make them more inclusive and authentic with a lot more expressions, faces and skin tones, including wheelchairs and hearing aids, as well as new 3D Avatars. The company has stated that people in the United States, Canada and Mexico can use their 3D avatar stickers to send red envelopes, a traditional Lunar New Year gift, to friends on Facebook and Messenger.

Creating an Avatar

1. In a Messenger 💬 chat, tap your profile picture in the top left.
2. Tap Avatar.
3. Tap Make your avatar to open the Facebook app. If you do not have the Facebook app, you will be prompted to download it to continue.
4. Customize! Choose your hairstyle, hair color, face shape, skin tone, eye color, accessories, and more! You can tap 🪞 to see yourself on camera while you create your avatar.
5. Tap Done in the top right, then Finish to save and create your avatar.
6. Tapto view your avatar sticker pack, select the Lunar New Year sticker and share your avatar as a sticker!

To use Avatar

1. In a Messenger 💬 chat, tap your profile picture in the top left.
2. Tap Edit your avatar.
3. Tap ✏️ .
4. Tap Done in the top right, then Finish to save.

To share stickers of your personalized avatar in a Messenger chat

• From 💬 Chats, tap a conversation to open it.
• Tap smiley face.
• Tap the sticker icon.
• Tap to view your avatar sticker pack.
• Choose the Lunar New Year sticker and send!