Everything you need to know about augmented reality on Snapchat

Augmented reality (AR) has dramatically transformed the way we interact with the digital world. In this context, Snapchat, one of the most popular social media platforms, is at the forefront of reshaping the definition of digital experience. With its ongoing innovations, Snapchat aims to democratise AR for every user.

Snapchat and Augmented Reality: A Winning Combination

Snapchat is not just a social network for sharing fleeting moments. With its Lens Studio and its other tools, the company is offering the creative community powerful ways to develop AR experiences. By offering these tools, Snapchat has spawned more than 300,000 lens creators and presented its users with more than 3 million lenses, demonstrating the enormous potential of AR in the world of social media.

AR at Snapchat

Snapchat offers a variety of AR formats to enrich the user experience:

Lens: It's about Snapchat filters which can transform faces or landscapes in real time.
World Lens: These interact with the user's environment, allowing 3D elements to be introduced into the real world.
Snap Ads in AR: They offer brands the chance to engage users through immersive experiences.
Landmarkers: These Lens recognise real monuments and bring them to life in a unique way.

The AR shopping revolution on Snapchat

The advent of augmented reality technology has redefined the way consumers interact with products online. Snapchat, one of the most popular social platforms, has been at the forefront of this innovation. Since 2021, more than 250 million Snapchat users have interacted with AR Shopping lens more than 5 billion times. A staggering figure that testifies to the growing impact of this technology.

More interestingly, over half of shoppers on Snapchat say that AR technology gives them more confidence in the quality of products. This is a major turning point for online retail, where hesitation to buy a product is often due to the inability to see or try it in person.

Snapchat has understood this trend and now offers tools such as AR image processing technology and 3D Asset Manager. These tools allow businesses to create and distribute AR shopping experiences on the platform. The 'Dress Up' tab, for example, allows users to virtually 'wear' clothes and accessories, providing an immersive shopping experience thanks to the Snapchat lens.

Products ranging from Gucci shoes and jackets to Piaget watches have been showcased, demonstrating the range of possibilities offered by this technology. By combining fashion, technology and user experience, Snapchat is paving the way for a new era in online shopping.

Camera Kit: The SDK solution for an unprecedented AR experience

Snapchat is constantly pushing back the boundaries of innovation with its augmented reality technologies. The introduction of theCamera Kit"is a concrete example of this. This cross-platform SDK solution has been designed to transfer the best of Snapchat's AR ecosystem to partner applications.

With Camera Kit, partners are no longer limited to simply integrating AR filters. They can now create, plan and manage their own personalised AR experiences for their applications and users. This offers unprecedented flexibility, allowing each brand or business to fully customise its AR interaction with its customers.

An essential aspect of Camera Kit is access to a powerful set of tools and analyses. These resources provide businesses with valuable insights into user engagement, optimising their marketing campaigns and boosting customer loyalty.

Investing in the future of augmented reality

Snapchat firmly believes that the future of digital interaction lies in augmented reality (AR). The platform believes that immersive experiences rooted in the real world, shared with friends and integrated into Snapchat users' daily lives, will be the key drivers of AR adoption.

Creation

Lens Studio: Snapchat is committed to democratising AR creation. To this end, the platform is making available to its vast community of creators the same tools used internally at Snap to develop AR Lenses. With free access to Lens Studio, creators can bring their visions to life, whether for entertainment, education or marketing.

Distribution

Snapchat, Camera Kit and Spectacles: These three elements form the pillars of Snapchat's AR distribution. While Snapchat is the primary app for discovery and interaction with Lens, Camera Kit extends these features to partner apps. In addition, with Spectacles, users can experience AR directly from their AR glasses.

Backend

Lens Cloud: To support the wide range of AR experiences on offer, Snapchat has developed the Lens Cloud. This is a collection of backend services built on the same infrastructure that powers Snapchat. This cloud platform enables a significant expansion of what developers can create in augmented reality, ensuring that the boundaries of innovation are constantly pushed back.

In short, Snapchat is not just a social media platform, but also a pioneer in the field of augmented reality. With its creative, distribution and backend tools, the platform is at the forefront of shaping the future of digital interaction.

Augmented reality isn't just a passing fad; it's here to redefine how we interact with the digital world. Snapchat, with its vision and innovation, is sculpting the future of AR, offering every user experiences that were once considered futuristic. As we move forward, it's clear that AR will become even more ubiquitous, and Snapchat will continue to be a major player in this revolution.