At Meta Connect 2026, the company debuted a new type of digital avatar system it simply calls Holograms. The company has substantially revised its avatar system over the years, from the extraordinarily ugly original release to 2024's modern upgrade , and now avatars are getting a truly realistic makeover, starting in WhatsApp calls.
What happened
At Meta Connect 2026, the company debuted a new type of digital avatar system it simply calls Holograms. The company has substantially revised its avatar system over the years, from the extraordinarily ugly original release to 2024's modern upgrade , and now avatars are getting a truly realistic makeover, starting in WhatsApp calls.
Where the sources line up
Holograms are made from scans you take with your smartphone using Meta's app. During my demo, I completed a scan for use on Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses and standard WhatsApp calls, which took about 60 seconds to set up. During onboarding, the app had me turn my head in a few directions, then answer some questions out loud so it could learn my mannerisms.
Practical impact for readers
The Meta rep then put on his Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses, walked into the other room, and called me from the glasses. When I answered the WhatsApp call, he appeared on screen as if it were any normal day, not wearing glasses at all. Despite what my eyes were telling me, the video I was seeing was not actually him it was his Hologram.
Who should pay attention now
You can see the difference in the video above: it shows me on the video call (with my Hologram on the phone), then a close-up of the phone showing the rep's Hologram, followed by his real video. The results are uncanny. Even a bit scary, perhaps.
What is still unclear
Meta’s Phoenix mixed reality headset is finally starting to look real I have no idea how Meta made a VR headset that's 83% lighter and 60% smaller than Apple Vision Pro, but I'm all here for it I played with Meta's new AI gaming engine reboot and can't believe how far it's come As you might have imagined, this all uses Meta AI. The initial 60-second scan I described earlier is followed by 5-10 minutes of server-side processing, where Meta AI creates a personalized model of your imagery for Hologram-friendly apps. On Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses, this video call appears on the glasses' display and lets the other person see you on the call without needing cameras on the glasses looking at you.
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