【Taste of Future Sister-in-law (2023)】

There's been a lot of Snapchat-copying going on Taste of Future Sister-in-law (2023)in the tech world lately, with Facebook being one of the main culprits.

But the social media giant isn't alone. Another tech juggernaut appears to be cribbing from the ephemeral messaging app, as well. On Monday, Apple was granted a patent for an "avatar editing environment" that looks a lotlike Bitmoji, the popular app from Snapchat-owned Bitstrips.

SEE ALSO: How Facebook is trying to dominate mobile without owning your smartphone

The patent document, which was first picked up by Mic, says this theoretical product would allow users to create custom avatars for "online games and other applications." Starting with a blank face, users can add, rescale and resize features like eyes, a nose and a mouth. They can also modify face shapes and skin color and will be able to choose whether to create the avatar automatically or manually.

You can see from the screenshots below how alike the patent is to Bitmoji:

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

As you can see, the resemblance is pretty real. And if you're thinking what we're thinking, yes, it is a little ridiculous that in this emoji-ridden day and age, avatar editing environments can still be patented. Bitmoji, after all, isn't an entirely new concept. Avatar creations have been around for ages. Remember Yahoo Avatar?

To be fair, Apple filed this patent in 2011, long before Snapchat acquired Bitstrips. But it's hard not to scream copycat when much of the functionality seems so similar to Bitmoji.

Apple patents don't always come to fruition though, so this could very well be another patent stashed away at the bottom of some storage space at Apple HQ.

And if it does? We can probably count on Miranda Kerr to say something about it.

---

Featured Video For You

---

Signs you're reading too much into instant messages with emoji

---

Topics Apple Snapchat

• Social Good
• Science
• Deals
• Life
• Digital Culture
• Entertainment
• Tech
• Shopping

• What's Thermal Throttling and How to Prevent It
• The heatless hair curling headband from 'Euphoria' is taking over TikTok. Does it work?
• When H.D. Was Psychoanalyzed by Freud Himself
• Charles Keeping’s Grisly Illustrations for Beowulf
• Seven Steam games whose reviews have changed a lot
• The Ultimate Freelance Writing Gig: Fortune Cookies
• James Salter's Acceptance Speech by James Salter
• Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s Travels in California, 1961
• CPU Price Watch: 9900K Incoming, Ryzen Cuts
• Rarities from My Grandfather’s House of Books

• Here’s how Tesla stans celebrate the holidays
• Study: Bing search results suck in entirely new and profound ways
• The Baby Yoda cocktail is the path to the drunk side
• How modern witches are gathering online to stop Trump
• Federal study confirms facial recognition is a biased mess
• What was Leia's end in 'Rise of Skywalker'?
• 12 Christmas songs from late night shows that'll get you in the festive spirit
• BBC Dad's kids are your new IDGAF heroes
• The 5 second rule might not be that gross after all, scientists say
• Bird staring at itself in this window is not having an existential crisis

• The 10 Most Anticipated PC Games of 2017
• Tom Hanks warns about AI likeness dental plan hoax
• X CEO Linda Yaccarino announces exclusive partnership with Paris Hilton
• When My Parents Got Their Clamming License
• Best Apple deal: Save $60 on the Apple Watch SE
• Ukraine's official account asks Twitter to remove Russia from the platform
• Visiting Persephone Books
• Made By Google 2023: What to expect from the Pixel 8 event
• Today's Hurdle hints and answers for April 23, 2025
• The Paper Architecture of the Soviet Union

• The 10 Most Anticipated PC Games of 2017
• Anonymous Ukrainians are owning social media
• Ukraine's official account asks Twitter to remove Russia from the platform
• Hard Mountain Dew promises fun parties and less fun hangovers
• NYT Connections hints and answers for April 14: Tips to solve 'Connections' #673.
• I Wrote Ringtones for Donald Trump
• 'Euphoria' Season 2's best memes and viral moments
• James Salter's Acceptance Speech by James Salter
• NYT Connections Sports Edition hints and answers for April 17: Tips to solve Connections #206
• Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s Travels in California, 1961