On a compatible Samsung Galaxy, you can make a personalized avatar from a camera photo, a Gallery image, or a preset. Phones running Android 15 with One UI 7.0 use Galaxy Avatar, found at Settings > Advanced features > Galaxy Avatar. Earlier supported software uses AR Emoji in Camera > More > AR Zone.
After you save the avatar, Samsung Keyboard can place an AR Emoji sticker or GIF in a message. The exact name, menu and available tools depend on your Galaxy model, software release and region, so use the route that actually appears on your phone.
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First identify which Samsung avatar system your phone has
Samsung has used two related names for its personalized emoji-style characters. The newer system is Galaxy Avatar. Samsung documents it for the Galaxy S25 and other compatible Galaxy phones and tablets running Android 15 and One UI 7.0. The documented menu is in Settings rather than the Camera app.
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| Software generation | Where to start | Main creation option | What you can send |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compatible Android 15 and One UI 7.0 devices | Settings > Advanced features > Galaxy Avatar | Create avatar new | Avatar-based stickers or GIFs through supported Samsung messaging tools |
| Earlier supported software | Camera > More > AR Zone | AR Emoji Camera or AR Emoji Studio | Animated AR Emoji stickers and GIFs through Samsung Keyboard when available |
If neither route appears, do not assume that the feature has been removed from every Samsung phone. Samsung does not publish one complete compatibility list in the support guidance used for these steps. Check your exact model, installed software and regional Samsung support instructions.
Create a Galaxy Avatar on Android 15 and One UI 7.0
Use this procedure when your phone has a Galaxy Avatar entry in Settings. Samsung’s current regional guidance describes the following path on compatible devices.
- Open Settings. Start from the phone’s main Settings app, not the Camera app.
- Open Advanced features. Scroll through Settings and tap Advanced features.
- Tap Galaxy Avatar. This is the current Samsung menu name on compatible Android 15 and One UI 7.0 devices.
- Choose Create avatar new. The creation screen presents the available starting methods.
- Select a starting image or preset. You can use the camera, choose an image from Gallery, or select one of Samsung’s preset avatars. Pick the option that is shown on your device.
- Allow requested permissions. If the phone asks for access needed for the camera or Gallery, respond to the on-screen prompt so the selected creation method can work.
- Follow the creation prompts. Keep the phone positioned as requested and make the selections shown by the wizard. The available choices can differ by model and release.
- Tap Save. Saving finishes the avatar setup and makes the result available to the Samsung features that support it.
This route comes from Samsung Colombia’s support guidance, last updated March 31, 2026. That page limits the instructions to compatible models, so the presence or absence of a Galaxy Avatar entry is itself an important compatibility signal.
Choosing camera, Gallery or a preset
A camera capture is useful when you want the avatar to start from your current appearance. Gallery is the practical choice when you already have a suitable image on the phone. A preset lets you begin without supplying a personal photo. Samsung lists all three possibilities in its Galaxy Avatar instructions, but the choices exposed by a particular release can vary.
The starting image is not the final result. The creation flow is designed to produce an avatar that you can save after working through the choices presented on screen. If you do not want to use a personal image, choose a preset when that option is available.
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Create an AR Emoji on earlier supported Galaxy software
If your Galaxy does not have Galaxy Avatar but does have AR Zone, use the older AR Emoji workflow.
- Open Camera.
- Tap More. This opens the additional Camera modes.
- Tap AR Zone. Samsung places the AR Emoji tools inside this section on supported releases.
- Choose AR Emoji Camera or AR Emoji Studio. AR Emoji Camera starts the creation experience. AR Emoji Studio is the customization area; Samsung describes it as the place to “Create a custom look for your AR Emoji.”
- Follow the on-screen instructions. Select the requested image or capture method and continue through the appearance setup.
- Save the finished AR Emoji. The saved character can then be used in the Samsung features that expose AR Emoji stickers or GIFs.
Samsung Care’s walkthrough describes a flow that can use a photo or Gallery image, ask you to choose a gender, and then offer appearance and clothing controls. Examples include eye color, hair color, facial hair, complexion and clothing. Not every release exposes every control, so use the choices actually shown by your phone.
AR Emoji Camera versus AR Emoji Studio
These entries serve different purposes even though both are inside AR Zone. AR Emoji Camera is the creation entry point. AR Emoji Studio is for building or changing the character’s look. If you already have an AR Emoji and want to alter its styling, open AR Emoji Studio rather than starting a second character in the Camera tool.
Customize the look before you save
The exact editor differs by software, but Samsung’s support walkthrough identifies the kinds of decisions you may encounter:
- Basic identity or presentation choices, including a gender selection in the described AR Emoji flow.
- Eye and hair color.
- Hair and facial-hair styles.
- Complexion.
- Clothing and other style choices offered by the editor.
Treat these as examples, not a universal list. Samsung explicitly warns that AR Zone apps can vary by software version. A newer Galaxy Avatar editor may organize the controls differently from AR Emoji Studio, and a regional release may expose fewer or additional options.
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When the result looks right, use the editor’s Save command. Saving is the step that makes the character available outside the creation screen. If you leave before saving, the changes may not become available in the messaging panel.
Send the avatar in a message
Samsung documents a specific way to send an AR Emoji after it has been saved: use Samsung Keyboard while composing a message.
- Open a conversation in the messaging app you normally use.
- Bring up Samsung Keyboard by tapping the text field. The keyboard method depends on Samsung Keyboard being active and supported on the phone.
- Open the keyboard’s emoji panel. Tap the emoji control on Samsung Keyboard.
- Select your AR Emoji. The saved character should appear among the available AR Emoji choices when the feature is enabled.
- Choose a GIF or sticker. Samsung’s walkthrough describes selecting a GIF after choosing the AR Emoji. The exact panel layout can differ.
- Tap Send. The selected animated sticker or GIF is inserted into the conversation.
Samsung’s US support information describes AR Emoji Stickers as animated stickers for messages. Samsung’s regional guidance also warns that the keyboard method may not be available from keyboards other than Samsung Keyboard. If you use another keyboard, switch to Samsung Keyboard temporarily or use whatever sharing option your particular software provides.
What happens if the avatar is not in the keyboard panel?
Check the setup in this order:
- Confirm that the avatar was saved rather than only previewed.
- Make sure Samsung Keyboard is the active keyboard if you are following Samsung’s documented method.
- Look for the AR Emoji or avatar control inside the keyboard’s emoji panel rather than the phone’s general emoji list.
- Remember that Samsung says feature availability varies by software. A character can exist in the creation app without the same sticker controls appearing in every keyboard or messaging app.
Galaxy Avatar and AR Emoji are not the same as Unicode emoji
A Galaxy Avatar or AR Emoji is a Samsung-created character used through Samsung’s avatar and sticker tools. It is not a new Unicode emoji that will automatically appear as a standard character on every phone. In practice, the documented sharing result is an animated sticker or GIF selected from Samsung Keyboard.
This distinction explains why a recipient may see a sticker or animation rather than a single text glyph. It also explains why the sending method depends on Samsung Keyboard and the software’s messaging integration.
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- MEMORIES MADE PICTURE PERFECT: Capture every angle in stunning clarity, from wide family photos to close-ups of friends, with the triple-lens camera on Galaxy A17 5G.
- NEED MORE STORAGE? WE HAVE YOU COVERED: With an improved 2TB of expandable storage, Galaxy A17 5G makes it easy to keep cherished photos, videos and important files readily accessible whenever you need them.³
- BUILT TO LAST: With an improved IP54 rating, Galaxy A17 5G is even more durable than before.⁴ It’s built to resist splashes and dust and comes with a stronger yet slimmer Gorilla Glass Victus front and Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer back.
Troubleshoot missing menus and unavailable options
Galaxy Avatar is not listed in Settings
Galaxy Avatar is documented for the Galaxy S25 and other compatible devices running Android 15 and One UI 7.0. If Settings > Advanced features has no Galaxy Avatar entry:
- Check the phone’s model and installed Android and One UI versions.
- Consider that the feature may not be enabled for that model or region.
- Try the earlier Camera route: Camera > More > AR Zone. Some supported phones expose AR Emoji instead of Galaxy Avatar.
- Use Samsung’s support instructions for your country, because menu labels and availability can be regional.
Do not treat a missing entry as proof that the phone is defective. Samsung’s own guidance limits Galaxy Avatar to compatible models and says the available AR Zone apps vary by software version.
AR Zone is missing from Camera > More
AR Zone is the documented location for earlier AR Emoji tools, but Samsung does not promise that every Galaxy release includes it. Confirm that you are looking under More in Camera, then check your model and software version. If the menu remains absent, consult the local Samsung support page for that device rather than following instructions written for a different release.
The editor has fewer controls than the instructions describe
The eye, hair, complexion, facial-hair and clothing examples come from Samsung Care’s AR Emoji walkthrough. Samsung also notes that options differ across releases. A shorter list therefore indicates a software or model difference, not necessarily a failed installation. Use the controls provided by your editor and save the result when finished.
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The phone will not use a camera or Gallery image
Galaxy Avatar’s documented flow asks for permissions and then lets you choose the camera or Gallery. Follow the permission prompt for the method you selected. If you prefer not to grant camera access, choose Gallery or a preset when those options are offered. If Gallery is unavailable, use the camera path or the preset option shown by your version.
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- Please note, this device does not support E-SIM; This 4G model is compatible with all GSM networks worldwide outside of the U.S. In the US, ONLY compatible with T-Mobile and their MVNO's (Metro and Standup). It will NOT work with other CDMA carriers, and it is also not compatible with their MVNO (Visible, Xfinity Mobile, US Mobile, Cricket Wireless, etc).
- Compatibility with certain third-party devices and accessibility accessories, including some hearing aids, may vary depending on manufacturer support, Bluetooth protocols, software compatibility, and regional firmware limitations. For additional hearing aid compatibility information, please refer to Samsung’s official support documentation.
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The sticker or GIF cannot be sent
Start with Samsung Keyboard, because that is the method Samsung documents. Open its emoji panel and look for the saved AR Emoji. If you are using a different keyboard, the AR Emoji control may not be exposed. Availability can also differ between messaging apps and software releases, so the absence of a control in one app does not establish that the avatar was not saved.
How many stickers do you get?
Samsung announced 15 default AR Emoji stickers as part of a One UI 5.1 feature release and said that additional stickers could be downloaded through the AR Emoji Sticker app. That was historical, version-specific information; it is not a current universal count for every Galaxy Avatar or AR Emoji installation. The number and type of stickers on your phone depend on its software and the tools Samsung makes available for that release.
Use this decision checklist
- You have Android 15 and One UI 7.0 on a compatible model: open Settings, choose Advanced features, then Galaxy Avatar.
- You have an earlier supported release: open Camera, tap More, open AR Zone, and choose AR Emoji Camera or AR Emoji Studio.
- You want to start from a picture: select Camera or Gallery in the creation flow.
- You do not want to provide a personal picture: choose a preset when your version offers one.
- You want to change an existing AR Emoji: open AR Emoji Studio and use its customization tools.
- You want to send the result: use the Samsung Keyboard emoji panel, select the AR Emoji, choose the available GIF or sticker, and tap Send.
- A menu is missing: verify the exact model, Android version, One UI version and region-specific Samsung instructions.
What to expect from the two routes
| Question | Galaxy Avatar | AR Emoji |
|---|---|---|
| Primary software context | Compatible Android 15 and One UI 7.0 devices | Earlier supported software, with availability varying by release |
| Starting menu | Settings > Advanced features | Camera > More > AR Zone |
| Creation label | Create avatar new | AR Emoji Camera |
| Customization label | Galaxy Avatar creation prompts | AR Emoji Studio |
| Image sources documented by Samsung | Camera or Gallery, plus presets | Photo or Gallery image, with options depending on release |
| Messaging path documented by Samsung | Use supported Samsung avatar features; labels can vary | Samsung Keyboard emoji panel, then AR Emoji and a GIF or sticker |
The practical choice is determined by the software already installed on your phone. Do not install an accessory or buy special hardware: a compatible Galaxy phone is the only physical device requirement identified for this task.
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Key limitations to keep in mind
- Samsung’s support pages do not provide a complete model-by-model compatibility matrix for these instructions.
- Galaxy Avatar is limited to compatible devices, and the documented regional instructions are not a guarantee for every country.
- AR Zone contents and labels can change with the software version.
- Sticker and GIF controls may require Samsung Keyboard and may not appear in another keyboard.
- The historical 15-sticker figure belongs to One UI 5.1 information and should not be used as a current count for all devices.
Once you identify the correct menu for your software, the process is straightforward: create from a camera image, Gallery image or preset, adjust the available appearance controls, save, and then select the avatar from Samsung Keyboard when you want to send it.
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