Bitmoji are personalized avatars created by Bitmoji, a subsidiary of Snapchat. They allow users to create a mini caricature of themselves to use across various apps and platforms. Bitmoji initially launched in 2014 with simple 2D cartoon avatars. However, in late 2018, Bitmoji introduced 3D avatar editing, allowing users to customize their Bitmoji in full 3D. This update provided more realistic and detailed customization options. However, some users prefer the old 2D cartoon style Bitmoji. So can you change your Bitmoji back to 2D after updating to 3D?
Overview of Bitmoji
Bitmoji are customizable cartoon avatars that users can design to look like themselves. Some key facts about Bitmoji:
- Launched in 2014 by Bitstrips.
- Acquired by Snapchat in 2016.
- Over 2 billion unique avatars have been created.
- Integrates with apps like Snapchat, Gmail, Slack, and more.
- Users can customize hair, facial features, outfits, and more.
- Initially only offered simple 2D cartoon avatars.
- 3D avatar editing launched in late 2018.
With the launch of 3D Bitmoji, users get more realistic detail, shading, and depth for customizing their personal cartoon avatar. However, some long-time users prefer the retro 2D style.
Advantages of 2D Bitmoji
Here are some of the key advantages of the original 2D cartoon Bitmoji avatars:
- Nostalgic retro cartoon art style.
- Simpler customization focused on core facial features.
- Whimsical stylized appearance.
- Lower learning curve for customizingavatar.
- Easier to render across different apps and platforms.
- Visually consistent with early Bitmoji branding.
For users who grew accustomed to the simple retro 2D Bitmoji style since its launch, the 3D shift altered the entire aesthetic. The 2D versions have more basic cartoon appeal compared to the more advanced 3D realism.
Downsides of 2D Bitmoji
However, the original 2D style does come with some limitations:
- Very limited customization options.
- Difficult to create realistic likenesses.
- Minimal detailing for outfits and accessories.
- Reduced personalization capability.
- Appear more generic and less distinctive.
- Visual style might appear outdated today.
The simple 2D Bitmoji builder lacks the enhanced customization and realism offered by 3D models. It can be harder to create a recognizable avatar with distinguishing features in the vintage 2D style.
Advantages of 3D Bitmoji
The 3D avatar editing made possible by Bitmoji Deluxe adds several benefits:
- Increased realism with depth andshading.
- Enhanced detailing for facial features.
- Wider range of customization options.
- Additional outfit and accessory choices.
- Background scene and pose selection.
- Easier to make highly personalized likenesses.
- Higher visual quality.
For many users, the 3D Bitmoji allow for greater self-expression through customization. The avatars can be tailored to match appearances and personalities more closely.
Downsides of 3D Bitmoji
However, there are some disadvantages to the 3D Bitmoji style as well:
- Higher learning curve for customizing faces.
- Can appear overly complex or noisy visually.
- Loses simplistic cartoony appeal.
- Increased processing requirements for rendering.
- Might not fit branding of some apps as well.
- Avatars seem less consistent across platforms.
The extra realism and details can overwhelm some users. Additionally, the 3D visual style strays from the iconic cartoon Bitmoji aesthetic.
Is it Possible to Change Back to 2D?
So can you revert your Bitmoji back to a 2D avatar after upgrading to 3D? Unfortunately, there is no direct way to convert your modern 3D Bitmoji back to the classic 2D cartoon style. Some possible workarounds:
- Manually re-create your avatar from scratch in 2D.
- Use an old 2D auto-backup if available.
- Contact Bitmoji Support to restore 2D version.
- Use Bitmoji Classic Chrome extension.
- Revert to older app version with 2D editor.
But there is no built-in downgrading option from 3D back to 2D through the standard Bitmoji app and editor. The increased customization options available in 3D make reverting difficult. Overall, Bitmoji seems focused on moving forward with its more modern and advanced 3D style avatars rather than supporting the retro 2D versions. Users who want to recreate the nostalgic feel of the early Bitmoji may be disappointed to learn they likely can’t directly revert.
Manually Recreating 2D Avatar
Perhaps the simplest option is to manually build a new 2D avatar from scratch to match your desired retro aesthetic. But this requires manually adjusting the limited settings available to try and match your previous 2D style as closely as possible. It can be time consuming and challenging to recreate your classic Bitmoji through the modern 3D editor. You’ll be limited to the elementary customization options of early Bitmoji.
Using Old 2D Auto-Backup
When initially upgrading to 3D, some users report Bitmoji automatically saved a backup of their previous 2D avatar. But there’s no guarantee this 2D backup was created. If you can locate this legacy auto-backup, it offers a way to restore your original 2D Bitmoji. However, the auto-backup is not readily accessible and would require digging through your Bitmoji account files manually. Most users won’t have an old 2D version available through this method.
Contacting Bitmoji Customer Support
You can try reaching out to the Bitmoji Support team to request assistance in reverting your avatar to 2D. However, their customer service reps likely do not have any special tools to convert your Bitmoji back from 3D to 2D. The best they may be able to offer is suggestions similar to the workarounds above. Unless they can provide you with a legacy backup file, customer support is unlikely to provide options not already available through the user interface.
Using Bitmoji Classic Chrome Extension
A Chrome browser extension called Bitmoji Classic exists that forces Bitmoji back to the old 2D versions even after upgrading to 3D. This works by modifying the underlying API calls. However, Snap has tried to shut down this extension, so it may not work reliably or persistently. Relying on an unofficial extension is not the most robust solution. But it does offer a way to temporarily view your 2D Bitmoji again in the browser.
Downgrading App Version
If you have an old smartphone with the Bitmoji app installed from before the 3D update, this would let you access the 2D editor again. You could recreate your avatar in 2D on the legacy app version. However, this would only work temporarily as long as that older app remains installed. Once you update, the 2D editor and avatar would be lost again. As with the browser extension, downgrading the mobile app provides limited restore options.
Conclusion
In summary, Bitmoji does not directly support converting modern 3D avatars back to the classic retro 2D cartoon style. The increased customization complexity makes this impossible through the standard interface. Workarounds exist like manually recreating the 2D Bitmoji, using backups or legacy app versions, trying customer support, or relying on unofficial browser extensions. But most users will find the process difficult, unreliable, and time consuming. Bitmoji is focused on the future with 3D avatar personalization rather than supporting outdated 2D features. Users fond of the nostalgic Bitmoji aesthetic may need to say goodbye to the retro 2D versions for good.