In This Article
Bitmoji has been integrated into Gboard as a sticker pack since 2020 and the 2026 setup is the same flow with a slightly cleaner Material You interface. The standalone Bitmoji keyboard app from 2017 is no longer needed; you can launch your full Bitmoji catalogue from inside Gboard’s sticker tab. Apple’s Genmoji feature in 2024 created a competing AI-generated personal emoji standard, and Google’s response is rolling out across Pixel devices.
Below is the 2026 walkthrough for getting Bitmoji on Android, the Gboard sticker setup, and the Pixel AI personal-emoji option that competes with Apple’s Genmoji.
TL;DR
The pick: The pick: install Bitmoji from the Play Store, sign in with Snapchat or a standalone Bitmoji account, then access from Gboard’s sticker icon.
Runner-up: Runner-up on Pixel 9 and newer: try Pixel Studio’s personal-emoji feature, an on-device Genmoji-equivalent built into Tensor G4.
Skip if: Skip the standalone Bitmoji keyboard app from 2017. It is unmaintained; Gboard handles everything.
Install Bitmoji and link your account
Download Bitmoji from the Play Store. Open it and either sign in with Snapchat or create a standalone Bitmoji account (an email plus password). Design your avatar; the 2025 avatar builder added more hair, skin tone, and clothing options. Your avatar syncs with Snapchat if linked, and the catalogue updates daily with new templates.
Enable Bitmoji in Gboard
Open any messaging app, tap into the text field to bring up Gboard, tap the smiley face icon, swipe to the Stickers tab, tap the plus icon, find Bitmoji, and enable. From then on, Bitmoji stickers appear in Gboard’s sticker tab. Search by mood (happy, tired, celebrating) or by phrase to find the right one.
Send Bitmoji in iMessage, WhatsApp, and more
Once Bitmoji is enabled in Gboard, you can send stickers in any app where you can paste an image, which is essentially every messaging app. WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger, iMessage (received), Slack, and Discord all render Bitmoji stickers as inline images.
Use Bitmoji in Snapchat
Inside Snapchat, Bitmoji integration is deeper: your avatar appears in Snap Map, in Stories, and in chat. Take a Snap, tap the sticker icon, and your Bitmoji is the first option. Friendmoji combines your avatar with a friend’s avatar in a single sticker, a feature unique to Snapchat.
Pixel Studio personal emoji, the Genmoji equivalent
Pixel 9 and newer ship with Pixel Studio, an on-device generative image app. The personal-emoji feature in 2025 lets you describe an emoji (‘a tired raccoon with a coffee mug’) and generate a single-use sticker. It is not a Bitmoji replacement (no persistent avatar), but it covers some of the same use cases for one-off expressions. Free, on-device on Tensor G4 hardware.
The setup, step by step
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1
Install Bitmoji from Play Store
Search Bitmoji, install.
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2
Sign in or create an account
Snapchat link or standalone account.
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3
Design your avatar
2025 builder has expanded options.
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4
Open Gboard sticker tab
In any message field, tap the smiley face icon.
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5
Enable Bitmoji in Stickers
Plus icon, find Bitmoji, enable.
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6
Send anywhere
Search by mood or phrase, tap to send.
FAQ
Do I need Snapchat to use Bitmoji?
No, but signing in with Snapchat gives you the deepest integration (Friendmoji, Snap Map avatar). Standalone Bitmoji accounts work everywhere except inside Snapchat itself.
Why are my Bitmoji stickers blurry in some apps?
Bitmoji stickers are PNG with transparency. Apps that re-encode images (some older WhatsApp versions, certain Telegram bots) may compress them. Most modern messaging apps preserve quality.
Can I make custom Bitmoji?
You can customize your avatar but cannot draw entirely custom stickers. For one-off custom stickers, Pixel Studio’s personal-emoji feature is the closest equivalent.
What happened to the standalone Bitmoji keyboard?
It was deprecated when Gboard added sticker support in 2020. The standalone keyboard app is unmaintained and should not be installed in 2026.
Bottom line
Bitmoji on Android in 2026 is a five-minute setup through Gboard’s sticker pack. The standalone Bitmoji keyboard is obsolete. Pixel 9 owners can experiment with the Pixel Studio personal-emoji feature for one-off custom expressions. The flow is the same as 2020; the only thing new is the cleaner Material You styling.
