Apple adds face mask customization option to Memoji

Apple’s Face ID might not be able to recognize your unique visage in a face mask, but now your Memoji can reflect your new COVID-ready look.

At its virtual Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, Apple announced that its users can now customize their Memojis with the must-have fashion accessory of the moment: a face mask.

Memoji is Apple’s version of a Bitmoji. It’s a cute lil’ animated avatar that you can customize to look as realistic or fantastical as you like. You can use your Memoji for stickers that appear in iMessage, recording video messages, profile pics, and more.

Face masks have become a popular — and in some states, mandatory — way to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. It’s a nice nod to our current moment to include it in your Memoji customization options.

Apple announced a ton more accessory options for Memoji at WWDC in 2019. For the previous two years of Memoji’s existence, the looks were much more limited. In 2020, Apple put Memoji front and center in the branding for the event, and in some of its new iOS 14 features.