Snapchat is a multimedia messaging app that was launched in 2011 by Evan Spiegel, Reggie Brown, and Bobby Murphy. It has since become one of the most popular social media platforms among young people, with over 287 million daily active users as of Q4 2020. What sets Snapchat apart from other social media platforms is its focus on augmented reality (AR) features, which allow users to enhance their physical surroundings with digital content. In this article, we will explore how Snapchat utilizes AR and what AR developers can learn from its successful implementation.

Snapchat’s AR Features

Snapchat has a variety of AR features that are designed to make the app more engaging and interactive for users. Some of these features include:

• Filters: Filters allow users to add digital effects to their photos and videos, such as cartoonish drawings, text overlays, and even 3D objects. These filters are often tied to current events or popular culture, making them highly shareable and viral.
• Lenses: Lenses allow users to add interactive elements to their photos and videos. For example, the “Rainbow” lens adds a rainbow effect to the user’s surroundings, while the “Pac-Man” lens adds digital characters to the scene.
• World Lenses: World Lenses are AR experiences that are specifically designed for outdoor environments. They allow users to interact with their physical surroundings by adding digital content to the camera feed. For example, the “Plane” World Lens allows users to see a virtual plane flying overhead, while the “Ghost” World Lens adds a ghostly figure to the user’s surroundings.
• Bitmoji: Bitmoji is a feature that allows users to create their own custom avatars and add them to their photos and videos. These avatars can be customized with different facial expressions, clothing, and accessories, making them highly personalizable.
• Snappables: Snappables are interactive objects that appear in the user’s camera feed when they snap a photo or video. They can be used for games, quizzes, or other types of interactions with the user’s surroundings. For example, the “Lens” Snappable allows users to take photos of different objects and see how they look through a specific lens filter.
• 3D Bitmoji: 3D Bitmoji is an AR feature that allows users to create 3D versions of their avatars. These 3D models can be placed in the user’s physical environment, allowing them to interact with their avatar in a more immersive way.

The Benefits of AR in Social Media

AR has become increasingly popular in social media platforms, as it offers a unique and interactive way for users to engage with content. Some of the benefits of AR in social media include:

• Increased Engagement: AR features are highly engaging and can lead to increased user interaction with the app.
• Improved User Experience: AR features can improve the overall user experience by providing a more interactive and immersive way for users to interact with the app.
• Enhanced Brand Awareness: AR features can help brands to increase their visibility and awareness by allowing them to create unique and engaging experiences for users.
• Increased Creativity: AR features can encourage users to be more creative and expressive, as they have new tools and technologies available to them.
• Improved Retention Rates: By providing a more engaging and immersive experience, AR features can help to improve retention rates by keeping users coming back to the app more frequently.

Lessons for AR Developers from Snapchat

Snapchat’s success in incorporating AR into its platform has provided valuable lessons for other AR developers. Some of these lessons include:

1. Focus on User Experience: Snapchat places a strong emphasis on user experience, which is one of the reasons it has been so successful.
2. Keep It Simple: Snapchat’s AR features are simple and easy to use, making them accessible to a wide range of users.
3. Leverage Trends and Culture: Snapchat has been successful by leveraging current events, trends, and popular culture in its AR features.
4. Make it Personal: Snapchat’s success can be attributed in part to its personalized approach to AR, allowing users to customize their avatars and filter their experiences.



5. Continuously Innovate: Snapchat is constantly innovating and adding new features to its platform, which has helped it to stay ahead of the competition.

Conclusion

Snapchat’s use of augmented reality has set it apart from other social media platforms and made it a highly engaging and interactive app for users. AR developers can learn a lot from Snapchat’s successful implementation of AR features, including the importance of user experience, simplicity, creativity, personalization, and continuous innovation. By incorporating these lessons into their own AR apps and platforms, developers can create experiences that resonate with users and drive engagement and growth for their brands.