Snapchat Releases New Live World Lenses Filters, Allows Users To Interact With 3D Objects

On Tuesday, Snapchat released a batch of brand-new filters bound to change the way how you take your social snaps. Along with a promotional video, World Lenses was released to allow users to “add augmented reality elements to any scene you can capture with your camera,” TechCrunch reported.

“We launched Lenses over a year ago as a whole new way to express ourselves on Snapchat. Since then, we've become puppies, puked rainbows, face-swapped with our best friends — and begun to explore how Lenses can change the world around us,” Snap said in a company blog post.

Accordingly, Snap said that to activate this filter, simply start snapping using your rear-facing camera, tap the camera screen, search and choose the new World Lenses filters.

Although the company avoided using the term “augmented reality” or AR, early adopters of the Nintendo 3DS are familiar with the 3D graphics interaction the World Lenses offers. CNET notes that the company has been developing the technology for some time, and that World Lenses would be the social media app’s foray into the technology. The second is the Spectacles, a pair of smart wearable sunglasses equipped with a video camera that allows the user to take 10-second Snapchat video clips. Although Spectacles does not offer an AR feature, the tech site believes once it’s equipped, it can be a strong competitor for Google Glasses.

Snapchat has been facing tough competition in the social media space, thanks to the copycat features developed by its competitors. However, a recent survey revealed Snapchat as the most popular platform for the teen user market.