Since WhatsApp is discontinuing support for avatar stickers, WhatsApp is now removing the related privacy setting from Android and iOS. The option allowed users to decide who could pair their avatar sticker with someone else's in a chat. With the avatar feature heading toward complete removal, its privacy setting is no longer needed.
| Key Points | Details |
|---|---|
| Name of the feature: | Privacy setting for avatar stickers |
| Status: | Removed |
| Compatibility: | The latest versions of WhatsApp beta for Android and iOS are compatible updates. |
| Availability info: | Privacy settings for avatar stickers are no longer available to some users. The changes will affect more users over the coming weeks. |
| Thanks: | Sc and IsaacAndHisIsaac, for testing and reporting. |
| Previous news: | WhatsApp is rolling out new settings for group info on Android! |
WhatsApp is officially ending support for avatars
Last month, we reported that WhatsApp was removing the ability to create, edit, and display avatars on Android and iOS. WhatsApp is also removing the entry point to access avatar stickers from the keyboard, so users can no longer send new avatar stickers from the conversation screen. Previously sent avatar stickers are not affected by this change since they are still available in the section that lists recent stickers. Users can also find their old avatar stickers in their favorites in case they previously saved them. Users were already losing access gradually at that time, though WhatsApp shared no official date for when it would end.
WhatsApp continues removing traces of avatars with the latest updates
WhatsApp is now pushing further by deleting the privacy setting for avatar stickers from the app. This setting appeared only for users who had previously created an avatar, and it is now disappearing along with the rest of the feature. The change is part of the same gradual rollout that affects avatars on Android and iOS. As a result, some users who created an avatar in the past may notice that this option disappeared from their privacy settings.
What avatar stickers were on WhatsApp
When users created an avatar, WhatsApp automatically generated a set of stickers based on that avatar design. These stickers could be used in their chats just like any other sticker pack. WhatsApp also allowed two contacts to combine their avatars into a single sticker. However, it only appeared in the chat if both people had saved one another as contacts and had granted permission through their privacy settings.
WhatsApp let users control who could pair their avatar stickers
The privacy setting for avatar stickers gave users control over who could feature their avatar sticker together with someone else's in a conversation. The setting offered three options: My Contacts, Selected Contacts, and Nobody. By default, WhatsApp set this option to My Contacts for anyone who created an avatar. This means that contacts could feature your avatar sticker with theirs by default, unless you changed the setting to something more restrictive.
WhatsApp is now removing this privacy setting from the app
With avatars being phased out, WhatsApp is removing the privacy setting to control avatar stickers. Users who previously had access to this option will no longer find it listed among their privacy settings. This follows the same pattern as the avatar deprecation that affects more accounts over time. Since users can no longer create an avatar, the setting that controlled how avatar stickers were shared has become unnecessary.
Why WhatsApp is removing avatar stickers and their privacy setting
WhatsApp has not shared an official explanation for discontinuing avatars, but the most likely reason is low adoption. As covered in our previous report, WhatsApp tracks how features are used. The data likely showed that relatively few users created an avatar. Removing a feature with limited engagement allows WhatsApp to focus its resources on features that more people actually use. The privacy setting for avatar stickers follows the same logic: since the feature is no longer available, there is no reason to keep a dedicated control for it.
WhatsApp keeps removing avatar stickers on Android and iOS
The privacy setting to manage avatar stickers is no longer available to some users on Android and iOS. WhatsApp will remove it for more accounts over the coming weeks. There is no official timeline for when this change will reach everyone. If the setting still appears in your privacy screen, it is likely a matter of time before it disappears.
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