7 Best Instagram Augmented Reality Effects in November 2024

What are Instagram AR effects?

Nowadays Augmented Reality filters are becoming more and more popular. These are previously generated effects that overlay the users’ real-time environment via their smartphones’ cameras. For instance, on Instagram Stories AR effects adjust to the present surroundings displayed through your camera lens.

Augmented Reality filters on Instagram are turning to be more and more dynamic. That's why they easily move with you and other objects in real-time. As a result, AR lenses can be observed from different angles. For example, users can experience the filter that places the puppy's face over their natural appearances.

Also, there is a difference between Instagram AR effects and preset filters. Concerning preset filters, they are applied to improve your photographs’ quality. An Augmented Reality effect, in its turn, can be used only in Instagram Stories.

Brands love AR effects

These days many famous brands invest in Augmented Reality development, as it boosts consumers’ engagement and increases brand awareness. Such corporate giants as Samsung, Google, and Facebook eagerly develop different AR startups and products. It means that social media Augmented Reality filters and lenses can be added as powerful components of marketing campaigns.

What’s more, AR filters on different social networks provide brands with an opportunity to conduct cost-effective advertising campaigns without too much effort.

For the first time, AR filters on Instagram were introduced to the public in 2017. But the users' capabilities were narrowed down to experiencing just a limited number of effects made by the Instagram team. Eventually, the situation has changed, and today, users and developers can let their imagination fly to create and upload the AR effects and filters to Instagram and Facebook by themselves.

The critical thing to know is that the creator of a filter shouldn't wait for any payment from Instagram directly. Instead, the user can count on followers' flow if the filter gains popularity. As a result, they can start developing custom branded Augmented Reality effects to monetize their skills.

According to statistics for August 2019, over a billion users have at least once tried Instagram AR effects and filters. An attractive opportunity to entertain and augment the real environment constantly encourages people to use such features. What’s more, it’s a perfect way to attract the audience and create engaging content.

At the beginning of the year 2020, filters based on Augmented Reality were massively implemented on Instagram Stories. This improved and absorbing feature went viral. At present more and more different filters are used, such as those where you can identify your role if you happened to be added to the cast of Friends or Harry Potter, etc.

Key studies

Statistics for the year 2020 show that in the U.S., up to 43.7 million individuals used Augmented Reality in their social network accounts. Among the most frequently applied AR effects are photograph and video filters and lenses, mainly on Instagram and Snapchat.

It was registered in 2019 that 500 million users posted Instagram Stories every single day. What’s more, the age of 67% of Instagram users is in the range of 18 to 29.

One of the highest numbers of views on Instagram Stories comes from brands and businesses, one-third of the platform's most popular content. What's more, the completion rate of branded Stories often constitutes 85%. As practice shows, an increased view rate can be achieved by adding question or poll stickers when posting an Instagram Story. It can be seen within 90% of the branded marketing campaigns.

Taking into consideration the fact that the Augmented Reality filters market is still nascent, let’s take a look at the numbers reflecting this process in India at present:

• 60% of the AR filters market is occupied by business-to-business platforms and players in two years.
• Three-fourth of prominent AR filter-creating studios are engaged with brands and social platforms.
• Leading studios charge brands from $2,000 to $20,000 for their AR campaigns and lenses.
• Only 100 out of 70,000 AR creators in India create AR effects for commercial use.

Why businesses develop AR filters for Instagram Stories?

Demonstrate your brand’s features:

• Instagram Stories is an absorbing and attention-grabbing way for users to experience your brand.
• Branded AR filters can also help businesses create a distinctive image of their product or service.

Generate more touchpoints for the brand and consumers:

• 60% of brands that actively use Instagram Stories add AR features and playful stickers or other components of interactivity to raise the view rate.
• Customized AR filters are still the cutting-edge innovation that can be part of your promotional strategy.
• Over 500 million accounts use Instagram Stories every day.

Expand your target audience:

• Encourage your customers to get in touch with your business by responding to your Instagram Stories.
• Your Augmented Reality filter should include your brand’s logo or other distinguishing features.
• Users’ activeness in experiencing your filter will help expand your audience, as you can be followed by more people who are able to discover your brand name.

Stand out from the crowded market:

• As AR filters are still innovative, your brand can become a trendsetter.
• “Try-before-you-buy” filters are the way to give your potential customers a glimpse of your service or products.
• AR filters can also help you establish your mission across social media channels.

How to develop an Instagram AR effect?

After Facebook released Spark AR Studio, which is a desktop software, users were enabled to build their own Augmented Reality experiences for Facebook and Instagram. Capabilities available on Spark AR Studio have always been expanding since 2017. Currently, developers have access to analytical data, ability to create rich and immersive AR experiences for Facebook and Instagram apps. Spark AR Studio runs based on both macOS and Windows platforms.

Users are absolutely free to develop their own AR filters and introduce them to the public starting from summer 2020. Spark AR Studio enables anyone to become the developer of the Instagram and Facebook Augmented Reality filters and effects.

The codeless design makes it simple to work in Spark AR Studio, where drag-and-drop and templates functionality is applied. Users are able to work with customized textures, scripts, shaders and motion graphics, build their own AR effects and develop the algorithms of their interaction with real-life environments. Experienced and professional developers with coding knowledge can build more rich Augmented Reality experiences with custom scripting. As a result, Spark AR fits both technical and non-technical creators.

In Spark AR Studio you can also connect custom sound files, 3D objects, images, buttons and then adjust them to get desired results. You can also visit Catchar Asset Store to find libraries and templates which you can apply to develop and customize your own Augmented Reality filter.

What’s more, users can directly publish their filters on Instagram. However, it may take some time for your AR filter to be approved. Another useful feature for the users is that they are able to check their filters’ performance on Instagram and Facebook, such as Total Impressions, Captures, Shares, etc.

6 simple steps for you to become a creator of an Augmented Reality filter:

• You should start with downloading Spark AR Studio.
• The next step is to find out how the platform works by watching welcome tutorials and examining the learning center.
• Choose the type of AR element you would like to create. The next thing is to work with your canvas. You can also have an opportunity to add the desired AR content to your effect.
• Then you are going to add effects that identify the range of reactions to the user’s manipulation.
• Send your test file to Instagram or Facebook to see how it works on different platforms.
• Upload your Augmented Reality filter. This can take a few days before your creation is approved.

How to promote Instagram AR effects?

Increasing brand awareness is a crucial component of any brand’s marketing campaign. Though business development is never an easy task, it can become a totally different experience when having the right strategies. To successfully promote your Instagram effects based on AR you can always list and share them with the Catchar website.

Catchar team can help your branded Augmented Reality experience to get promoted and featured across 30,000 connections in social networks, newsletters, chats, etc. It is important to know that you can scale AR experiences worldwide and get your early adopters on Catchar. Achieve your goals with the Catchar ecosystem!

How to monetize Instagram AR filters and effects?

The most common way to monetize your skills and make a profit is to start developing branded and sponsored Augmented Reality filters and campaigns for businesses. It could take a while to prove your skills and create your portfolio; however, the development of branded Instagram filters and effects may vary from $500 to $20,000. As a result, it helps to unlock effective income streams.

Moreover, AR creators experiment with new revenue streams. Using marketplace and asset stores, they can list for sale their Instagram templates, 3D models, scripts and premium tutorials. Feel free to visit Catchar Asset Store to discover more examples and get started selling your content.

Where to find the best Instagram filters and examples?

In case you are looking for the best Instagram effects, on Catchar, you can learn about the most popular AR experiences and come across various branded examples that can help you get the essence of the topic. You can always apply different settings to sort Aigmented Reality filters and experiences by date, frameworks, rating, and type. What's more, there are profiles attached to projects that help users discover more information. Another useful feature is that visitors can check detailed screenshots and reviews by the Catchar team. You can always rate your experience and give your feedback to support creators.

Get started with Catchar to create your Augmented Reality portfolio by sharing projects and experiences you made with Spark AR and not only.

How to hire professional Spark AR creators & developers?

These days the market is filled with services that offer technical specialists to meet various demands. If you are looking for Spark AR creators/developers, consider visiting the Catchar website. What makes us exclusive and exceptional? On Catchar, we focus on the best professionals, from AR experience developers to artists and designers.

You can learn more about developers by checking their portfolio, skills, years of experience, and projects they made.

If you need any help in terms of mentoring your AR project or organizing professional teams, feel free to contact our community leaders and advisors.