Snapchat is releasing new AR features
Snapchat is still a top-rated messaging app and hit one billion downloads even before Google Messages. Snap Inc has even further developed its offerings by experimenting with AR glasses and original programming. These features have pushed Snapchat way beyond its original concept. Now with a fully reworked Scan, they aim to bring AR search results to their users.
Snapchat's Scan feature is getting a massive overhaul. This feature is now accessible directly below the main record button within the Snapchat app. This move is already making the feature more useful as users no longer have to look for it.
The app is also closer than ever to taking on Google Lens and can show results of anything in your viewfinder, including nutritional information, plant species, dog breeds, and even clothing items. This feature will also sync directly with Snapchat's Lenses and pull suggested AR filters, music, and effects from the environment. This can be accessed through the Camera Shortcuts feature.
These are not the only improvements planned for the messaging app. Snapchat is partnering with various third-party apps to detect what's in the frame of the images. These third parties include Vivino to identify wines and PlantSnap to identify plants. Snapchat's most recent acquisition, Screenshop, will also be used to let users shop for clothes matching the ones in your images. The company also plans to partner with other apps like Allrecipes, to suggest meals based on the ingredients you photograph.
The Verge's hands-on reported that at the moment, this feature is still very unreliable. While some of the features work very well, like using your camera to take a snap of a plant and having it identified, others are just too unrealistic at the moment. This feature is also quite limited, considering that the technology has been available since 2017 when Google Lens introduced it. However, Snapchat is confident that the feature will continue to grow as more users put it to use while helping to expand the reach of Lenses.
Closing words
Snapchat seems to be trying to become more than just a messaging app with these new features. However, if they will be able to achieve that remains to be seen. These new features should be coming to Android devices a little later in the year. I am excited to keep an eye on this development and see if it delivers on functionality.
