Here’s a clear, step‑by‑step guide to doing the current Facebook “caricature” trend, plus how to frame your post so it actually performs well as a trend piece.

What the Facebook caricature trend is

People are taking a regular selfie or portrait and turning it into an exaggerated cartoon/caricature, then posting it as:

  • A single “before vs after” image
  • A Reel/short video showing the transformation
  • A photo post with a playful caption about “caricature me” or “AI cartoon me”

Most use AI caricature apps or filters and then upload the result to Facebook as a Reel or standard image post for engagement.

Step 1 – Pick a good photo

Choose a photo where:

  • Your face is clear and well lit, looking toward the camera.
  • There’s minimal clutter in the background, so the caricature app doesn’t get confused.
  • Your expression is strong (big smile, raised eyebrow, or serious stare) so the caricature looks more fun and exaggerated.

Tips:

  • Avoid blurry or low‑light selfies; they often produce weird distortions.
  • If you wear glasses or hats, decide if you want them in the caricature; some tools over‑exaggerate accessories.

Step 2 – Use a caricature / cartoon tool

You don’t have to use only Facebook’s in‑app effects; most people use external AI caricature tools, save the image, then upload it to Facebook. Popular options include:

  • Dedicated caricature/AI art sites – Upload a photo, choose a caricature or cartoon style, and download the result.
  • Mobile apps – Many photo editing apps offer “cartoon,” “3D avatar,” or “caricature” filters.
  • Web tools that specialize in caricatures – Some are positioned specifically as “caricature maker” or “photo to caricature” and give more extreme, stylized looks.

General workflow (they’re all pretty similar):

  1. Open the tool or app.
  2. Upload your selfie/portrait.
  3. Select a style: “caricature,” “cartoon,” “3D cartoon,” “comic,” etc.
  1. Adjust intensity if possible (dial it back if it looks too distorted).
  2. Export/download in high quality (JPEG/PNG, generally high compression quality for social).

Many tools let you preview for free and may charge for watermark‑free downloads; choose what you’re comfortable with.

Step 3 – Optional: use Facebook’s own cartoon filter

Some users lean into the trend using Facebook’s built‑in cartoon‑style filter instead of an external app:

  • Start creating a new post or Story in the Facebook app.
  • Add or take a photo.
  • Tap Filters at the bottom and scroll until you find a cartoon‑style filter (often shown with a cartoon icon or colorful preview).
  • Apply it, then save or post.

This won’t give the “full caricature” look that dedicated tools do, but it’s fast and native to Facebook.

Step 4 – Prep it for Facebook so it looks good

To make your caricature pop in the feed:

  • Use portrait orientation or at least a square crop so it fills more screen space on mobile.
  • Keep your face centered to avoid awkward cropping in the feed preview.
  • Export with good quality (JPEG/PNG, high quality setting) so it doesn’t look overly compressed.

If you’re sharing as a Facebook Reel (which tends to get extra reach in 2026):

  • Use a vertical 9:16 frame (like a normal phone video).
  • Create a quick 3–5 second clip: show the original photo for a second, then jump‑cut to the caricature with a simple transition.

Short‑form video is currently the format the Facebook algorithm pushes the hardest, especially Reels.

Step 5 – Post it like a trend, not just a random photo

This is where a lot of people miss out: how you frame the post matters. Ideas that fit the 2026 Facebook vibe:

  • Caption hooks
    • “Joining the Facebook caricature trend… be honest, did the AI do me dirty?”
    • “Caricature me vs real me. Which one looks more like my personality?”
    • “Apparently this is what cartoon‑me would look like.”
  • Engagement prompts
    • Ask friends to vote: “Real vs cartoon – which is more accurate?”
    • Tag a friend challenge: “Your turn. Post your caricature next.”
    • Run a fun mini‑poll in the comments.

Engagement (comments, tags, shares) is a big signal for reach on Facebook right now, so build your caption around something people can react to.

Step 6 – Turn it into a mini trend with friends

To make it feel like a real “trend” and not just a one‑off post:

  • Post your caricature and explicitly call out the trend in your caption or hashtags (e.g., “caricature challenge”, “cartoon me”).
  • Encourage a chain: tag 2–3 friends and challenge them to post their own caricature.
  • Collect multiple caricatures and post a carousel / photo dump : “Caricature dump: me and my friends as cartoons.” Carousel‑style posts and casual “photo dump” formats are working well on Facebook.

You can also:

  • Use it in a Story with a poll (“Cute or cursed?”).
  • Share a behind‑the‑scenes post later showing the original photo and which app/filter you used.

Interactive posts (polls, questions, simple challenges) are performing strongly on Facebook in 2026 because they invite participation, not just passive scrolling.

Quick HTML table: Tools and posting tips

Here’s a small HTML table you can reuse in your post or notes (you asked for tables as HTML):

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Step</th>
      <th>What to Use</th>
      <th>Key Tip</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Pick photo</td>
      <td>Clear, well-lit selfie</td>
      <td>Face centered, good lighting for best caricature result [web:2]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Create caricature</td>
      <td>AI caricature / cartoon app or web tool</td>
      <td>Choose a caricature/cartoon style, adjust intensity, export in high quality [web:2][web:6][web:8][web:10]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Optional filter</td>
      <td>Facebook cartoon-style filter</td>
      <td>Apply via Filters when creating a post or Story, look for cartoon icon [web:4]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Format for Facebook</td>
      <td>Vertical image or short Reel</td>
      <td>Use vertical or square crop, keep your face centered to avoid cropping issues [web:2][web:1][web:3]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Caption it</td>
      <td>Trend-style caption + question</td>
      <td>Reference the caricature trend and ask people to react, vote, or tag friends [web:1][web:3]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Boost engagement</td>
      <td>Tag friends, polls, challenges</td>
      <td>Turn it into a mini challenge so more people join in and increase reach [web:1][web:3]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Mini example you can copy

Imagine a simple flow:

  1. You take a bright selfie by a window.
  2. You upload it to an AI caricature site, select “caricature” style, and download the cartoon version.
  1. You put the real and caricature side‑by‑side in a vertical collage and upload as a Reel with a quick zoom‑in.
  2. Caption:

“Apparently this is my Facebook caricature version. Accurate or nah?
Comment ‘real’ or ‘cartoon’ and I’ll guess your personality type 👀”

That structure (visual transformation + simple question) matches how viral creative posts and short‑form video perform on Facebook in 2026.

TL;DR: To do the Facebook caricature trend, turn a clear selfie into a cartoon/caricature using an AI tool or Facebook’s own cartoon filter, then post it as a vertical image or short Reel with a playful, engagement‑focused caption and a simple challenge or question to get comments, tags, and shares.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.