7 Best Snapchat Augmented Reality Lenses in November 2024

What Snapchat AR filters and lenses are?

Snapchat is a popular messaging application that was developed and launched in early 2011. Snap Inc. was founded by Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy and Reggie Brown. Nowadays, it has up to 265 million active users per day and attracts various famous brands as influencers. Moreover, Snap Inc. acquired several tech companies, like AI Factory, Looksery, Zenly, etc. to integrate new features and possibilities into their existing and new apps. Snapchat also works on its own Mixed Reality smart glasses called Spectacles.

Snapchat offers you a wide range of engaging features. To start with, users can enjoy chatting with their friends separately and in groups. Disappearing messages helped Snapchat to become one of the most famous messengers in the U.S. and other countries. This messaging feature takes privacy to a whole new level. Users can also get acquainted with an editorial perspective on life with the Discover feature because news, brands, and companies place stories there.

Based on the latest trends and new functionalities that the company develops, camera-based features, like Augmented Reality, AI, Computer Vision and other cutting-edge technologies, are the key priority. Augmented Reality lenses and filters (Snaplenses) are currently one of the most recognizable features of the Snapchat app. Users are able to create, try and share these Snaplenses with their friends and across the web. Probably, you have already seen the real-time transformation of some human faces into funny movie characters, dogs and even aliens.

Snapchat products support a wide range of Augmented Reality features, like Face and World lenses, Marker-based tracking and augmentation, the ability to recognize and augment 3D objects and even buildings (Landmarkers). Recently, Snap Inc. has introduced the ability to develop custom Machine Learning scripts; as a result, it helps professional engineers to create more immersive AR content and experiences.

Let's go deeper to see the difference and understand how Snaplenses work. Smartphone's camera is the core component that helps activate and run AR, ML, and CV features behind the Snapchat app. It enables recognizing the physical environment, like streets, buildings, animals, images and human bodies.

Augmented Reality overlays the existing surroundings with digital content in real-time. There is a broad range of digital content available that can be used in AR, like 3D objects, motion graphics, images, audio, buttons, etc.

What’s interesting, users can also create and discover geofilters that are available only in certain geographical locations. If businesses want to create and design their own geofilter for a place or an event, it requires an additional fee.

To discover Augmented Reality lenses and filters and become a Snapchat user, you need to download the app, create your account, launch a camera to detect certain markers and play with different AR experiences. It's important to know that the user experience through a front camera differs from the one through a rear camera.

For those who want to become the creators of Augmented Reality lenses and filters, the Lens Studio software was made. It is an application that gives developers an opportunity to design and code their own Augmented Reality based filters and lenses. Corporate giants, such as Tiffany and Coca-Cola, turn to create their unique AR Snaplenses. Now users become part of their advertisement campaigns based on the Augmented Reality journey. That, in its turn, emphasizes the popularity of Augmented Reality as technological innovation and allows brands to engage with customers in a new way.

Key studies

Let’s talk numbers. According to the latest Snapchat research, the following tendencies are observed:

• More than 200,000 Lens developers are working at creating various Augmented Reality experiences.
• An approximate number of 2 million Lenses were developed with the help of Lens Studio to be used through Snapchat, Spectacles, and Camera Kit.
• Statistics show that the created Lenses were viewed more than 2 trillion times.

What’s interesting, most respondents who previously used AR were at the age of 13-49. And one-third of that experience was branded. Thus we can be sure that the AR tendency in online purchasing will only grow in the future, which can be proved by statistics, where 3 out of 4 people believe that AR will be a changer in modern shopping. What’s more, a 57% increase in the number of Augmented Reality users is expected, because of the influence of COVID-19 pandemics.

Concerning consumers, who actively use AR, there are different patterns among them. For instance:

• 49% of respondents come across AR elements while shopping online.
• About 39% of consumers find out about Augmented Reality experiences when their friends or family members share them.
• 32% of shoppers discover AR features while shopping for products or services in-store.

According to the provided statistics, among those who seek branded Augmented Reality:

• 37% use the scan feature on their smartphones or camera app.
• 36% scan QR code, a Snapcode or another type of code.
• 40% actively search through lenses, filters, and other AR experiences on digital platforms.
• 34% look for the branded AR experience with the help of a search engine.

That’s how we can see that over 50% of active Augmented Reality users are eager to search for AR content through such platforms as Snapchat with the help of camera tools.

The most important part of the above-mentioned stat is its practical value. The consumers’ readiness to buy more with fewer hesitations due to the availability of Augmented Reality experience leads to an increase in purchase intention. Thus it encourages e-commerce businesses to add AR features to their stores.

It is stated in the research report that about 66% of respondents are likely to purchase a product or service after a branded AR experience. The following numbers show the likelihood of purchase after experiencing different branded Augmented Reality:

• 73% for AR home decor
• 73% for product personalization
• 72% for virtual try-on
• 70% for product demonstration
• 69% for fitness or/and exercise
• 67% for gaming or/and entertainment
• 64% for AR experiences at specific physical spaces
• 57% for navigation

These statistics show the importance of AR implementation in different businesses, as it helps increase brand awareness and significantly change customer journey. The more platforms use Augmented Reality, the better brands adjust to modern trends and thrive.

What’s more, absorbing AR experiences can noticeably influence the shopper journey at its various steps. Augmented Reality availability inspires customers to shop, makes them feel confident about their purchase, helps users learn something new, and increases brand loyalty.

The provided statistical data may become the motivation for you to promote your business by embracing Augmented Reality experiences.

Verticals for Snap AR Lenses

Utility Lenses. When it comes to discoveries about our world, Utility Lenses will be useful. AR experiences built using these Lenses will help you come up with solutions to various problems, namely language translation, scanning objects within physical surroundings, taking spatial measurements, etc.

Entertainment Lenses. Professionals of the film industry, art, music, or culture spheres can enjoy Augmented Reality experiences built with Entertainment Lenses. That’s how numerous ideas and different visions can be brought to life via AR implementation. There is an increasing tendency of making AR a part of various cultural events, museums and live shows.

Shopping Lenses. Augmented Reality in e-commerce is going to significantly change the whole concept of the customer journey. That’s why Shopping Lenses help create an irreplaceable shopping experience for fashion and beauty spheres. They change the way we discover, try and buy products online by bringing similar in-store shopping experiences right to our places.

Self-Expression Lenses. With the Self-Expression Lenses created to refresh social communication, users can demonstrate their viewpoints and share their preferences and unique ideas.

Game Lenses. Game Lenses help build Augmented Reality to fill a tangible gap between virtual experience and the existing surroundings within the in-game environment. What’s more, connected Lenses let gamers share the AR competition field in real time.

Education Lenses. While the world is in need of new approaches to teaching, Education Lenses has already been helping to build Augmented Reality experiences to make the learning process more engaging and valuable.

How to create your own Snap Lenses?

In case you want to become the creator of your own Snap Lenses, useful tools are listed below.

• Lens Studio is the most popular and best functional desktop app that will come in handy for creators and developers of AR experiences.
• Lens Web Builder allows businesses to develop and design branded Augmented Reality experiences using various available templates. No coding experience needed!

How to promote Snapchat AR Lenses?

Starting and developing your business won’t be an easy task, but it can become a totally different experience when having the right strategies. If you are going to promote Snapchat AR Lenses, you should definitely visit Catchar.

Catchar team can help your branded Augmented Reality experience to get promoted and furthered through over 30,000 connections in social networks, newsletters, chats, etc. You can achieve your common goals quickly by scaling AR experiences worldwide and getting your early adopters on Catchar.

Where to find and get the best Snapchat Lenses?

When looking for the best Snapchat Lenses you definitely should visit Catchar. Here you can come across the best AR experiences and examples. You can always apply filters to sort them by date, frameworks, rating, and type. You can also find profiles attached to projects that help users discover more information. As a result, visitors can check reviews by the Catchar team and detailed screenshots. What’s more, you can always rate your experience and give your feedback.

Don’t forget to sign up on Catchar to organize and share your Augmented Reality portfolio. Moreover, you can save time and minimize your efforts when building your own Augmented Reality experience.

How to hire Lens creators & developers?

Nowadays you can find thousands of sources across the web that allow you to hire technical specialists to create or develop AR Lenses. On Catchar we have the best professionals, from AR experience developers to artists and designers. Visit our website, identify your requirements and develop AR Lenses with our team.