Imagine a fascinating digital world seamlessly blending with your current reality – that’s Augmented Reality (AR)! It’s like having a hidden portal accessible through your phone or special goggles, allowing you to see and interact with amazing digital content right where you are. Typically, experiencing AR would require downloading specific apps for the full experience. But who wants to clutter their phone with more apps, right? That’s where we step in!
We’re all about leveraging what you already have – Social Apps!
Yes, those apps you use to connect with friends.
Guess what?
Social Apps aren’t just for chatting and sharing photos; they’re also portals to AR magic!
No need for additional downloads.
You’ve got everything you need right there.
It’s like carrying a fun and interactive world in your pocket, ready to explore whenever you want.
So, let the AR adventures commence – your social world is now a playground of possibilities!
SocialAR: What Is It?
It’s like stepping into a whole new dimension right from your favorite social hangouts – think Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat.
Imagine a collection of camera filters that go beyond mere fun; they’re interactive and engaging, creating a unique connection between you, the customer, and your favorite brands or stores.
Sure, other social platforms dabble in AR too, but let’s focus on the cream of the crop – the top three players in the game: Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat.
These platforms aren’t just spaces to share photos and updates; they’re gateways to a world where augmented reality meets your social scene in the most exciting and immersive ways!
SocialAR: The Users
Let’s meet the AR enthusiasts in the social realm.
Facebook: With a whopping 2.7 billion people across its apps, over a billion are diving into AR experiences. While not stealing the spotlight like Snapchat, Facebook integrates AR seamlessly into Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and even their home hardware camera system – Portal.
Instagram: Picture this – 500 million daily users and 88% are global users outside the US. The majority, 71%, are under 35 years old. Although AR usage stats aren’t published, the vibe is undoubtedly vibrant and dynamic.
Snapchat: Boasting 190 million daily active users, Snapchat is the go-to for the younger crowd, capturing 90% of all 13-24-year-olds and 75% of the 13-34-year-old demographic in the US. Users spend around 25 to 30 minutes daily on Snapchat, and guess what? Their AR lenses? Viewed a staggering 35 billion times!
SocialAR: The History
Let’s delve into the intriguing chronicles of AR evolution.
Snapchat’s Groundbreaking Leap: September 15, 2015 – a momentous day in tech history. Snapchat, in a move that shook the digital landscape, unveiled its revolutionary “Lens” camera effects. This groundbreaking feat followed their acquisition of Looksery for a cool $150 million.
Facebook’s Strategic Acquisition: Fast forward to March 2016, and Facebook enters the AR arena with strategic intent. The tech giant acquires the innovative startup Masquerade (MSQRD) for an undisclosed sum.
The Birth of Facebook’s Face Filters: In a calculated move, Facebook unleashes its AR prowess about a year later – precisely during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil. The inaugural face filter allows users to proudly sport a country’s flag on their cheeks, marking a visually captivating entry into the augmented reality sphere.
A Metamorphosis Unfolds: Since the inception of those pioneering face filters, a transformative journey has unfolded. The landscape of AR has evolved, transcending its rudimentary beginnings to become an integral part of our digital interactions. The journey from Robot Scanner to today’s dynamic filters is a testament to the ceaseless innovation propelling the realms of augmented reality.
SocialAR Ecosystem
Let’s start the comprehensive exploration of the vast AR ecosystem, where digital wonders seamlessly blend with our reality.
SocialAR – Face Filters
Step into the enchanting realm of SocialAR, where Face Filters await to unleash your creativity!
Thanks to cutting-edge face-tracking technology, your mobile camera choreographs a dance with your eyes, mouth, and eyebrows in real-time, sculpting a three-dimensional playground of endless possibilities!
Among the stars of SocialAR, Face Filters reign supreme, not just for popularity, but as the go-to gems for sharing your uniquely expressive adventures!
SocialAR – Voice Filters
Explore the wonders of SocialAR – Voice Filter’s edition!
These nifty filters do more than just change your voice – they can also amp it up or become a magical trigger for interactive effects!
Snapchat adds a dash of artificial intelligence magic, understanding specific words to enhance your experience.
Though it’s a bit like peeking into the early chapters, it’s clear these filters are on a journey of brilliance.
SocialAR – Animal Face Filters
Let’s rewind to 2018 when Snapchat unveiled a magical feature – the power to sprinkle AR camera effects on your furry friends!
At first, the enchantment was woven around specific dog breeds, creating whimsical effects.
But here’s the update: the spell has been cast wider, and now it can even track the majestic movements of our feline friends – cats!
Get ready for a pet-friendly AR adventure!
SocialAR – Hand and Body Filters
Evolving beyond facial tracking, these platforms are now diving into the captivating realm of tracking your hands and body.
Now, the camera can follow the dance of your hands and body, to some extent, unlocking a world where users can capture themselves in video, engaging with AR through the magic of their hands!
SocialAR – Objects
Often, these objects are animated characters or items that seamlessly blend into your real-world surroundings.
Imagine a virtual dinosaur or character anchored to your floor, seemingly aware of its place in your world. This enchantment is made possible by the marvel of SLAM – Simultaneous Localization And Mapping technology.
But wait, there’s more magic!
AR Objects can join forces with Image Recognition technology, anchoring themselves to actual physical items in your world.
SocialAR – Portals
Explore the enchanting realm of AR Portals – expansive 360º spaces awaiting discovery through your device!
Users engage with these portals by stepping through a digital doorway, strategically placed by the person holding their mobile device or camera.
Picture yourself walking through, standing within a 360º space, and marveling at the surroundings through the lens of your camera.
SocialAR – Games
These games typically offer simple and interactive fun, inviting users to engage with AR objects using easy-peasy gesture controls.
Picture yourself navigating through a game, interacting with virtual wonders through playful gestures.
SocialAR – Landmarks and Places
Time unfolds innovative wonders, and here’s a recent gem: Snap has unveiled a new toolset, letting developers sprinkle augmented reality magic on famous landmarks!
It’s a limited edition of awesomeness, showcased at Snap’s Developer Summit, where approved developers gained the power to add AR effects to these iconic spots.
SocialAR – Murals, AR Billboards, and AR Posters
Ripples of excitement swept through the Out Of Home (OOH) advertising industry when we unleashed the grandest AR mural on Facebook for the Dallas Mavericks last year!
What’s an AR Mural, you ask?
It’s an adventure where traditional printed mediums – murals, billboards, or posters – come to life through your mobile device. The AR Filter, armed with image recognition prowess, identifies the printed piece and triggers a colossal, larger-than-life advertisement.
SocialAR – Shopping
In the retail universe, the spotlight is on AR as every store aims to introduce its products in a captivating way, and both Snapchat and Facebook are well aware of this retail revolution.
Many of AR’s superpowers shine during the Evaluation phase, where consumers get a 100% real-life preview of how products fit into their world, nudging them closer to that crucial purchase decision.
Snapchat steps up its game by adding a Shop Now button to AR experiences, courtesy of its Shoppable AR functionality.
This retail magic is fueled by media buys, and Snapchat even joins forces with Amazon for visual searches through their app’s camera, connecting users directly to the product on the retailer’s site.
Meanwhile, Facebook takes a stylish leap, partnering with Michael Kors to craft an AR ad where users can virtually “try on” sunglasses before making a purchase through the platform.
And the AR shopping saga continues with Nike’s beta-AR Shopping on Facebook, featuring an immersive experience within Messenger.
SocialAR – Scavenger Hunt
In a thrilling twist at the recent F8 conference, Facebook unwrapped a brand-new feature on their platform – Scavenger Hunt AR!
The excitement kicked in as they crafted a captivating series of Mural AR experiences, cleverly linking them together. Guests embarked on a quest to unlock each mural, receiving directions to the next one.
Ride on this detailed journey through the diverse realms of SocialAR, where every filter, game, and experience is a gateway to an augmented reality adventure!
Final Tought
In the enchanting world of augmented reality (AR), our exploration covered diverse realms – from expressive Face Filters to interactive SocialAR Landmarks.
We witnessed the fusion of retail and AR and platform innovations and even embarked on a thrilling Scavenger Hunt AR at the F8 conference. These experiences, each a unique chapter, underscore the dynamic evolution of AR.
As we eagerly await the next breakthrough, the journey through AR continues to redefine our digital and physical interactions with unparalleled creativity and wonder.
FAQs
Q1: What is SocialAR and how does it work? A1: SocialAR, short for Social Augmented Reality, integrates augmented reality features into social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. It works by overlaying digital content onto the real world through the camera view of your device, allowing users to interact with virtual objects and experiences in their surroundings.
Q2: Which social media platforms support SocialAR? A2: SocialAR is supported on popular platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. These platforms offer a variety of AR experiences including filters, games, shopping, and more.
Q3: What types of AR experiences can I find on social media? A3: You can find a wide range of AR experiences on social media, including face filters, voice filters, animal face filters, hand and body tracking, virtual objects, portals, games, AR landmarks, AR murals, AR billboards, AR shopping, scavenger hunts, and more.
Q4: How do I access AR filters on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat? A4: Accessing AR filters on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat is easy. Simply open the camera within the app, tap on the filter icon, and browse through the available options. You can then apply the filter to your photos or videos.
Q5: Can I create my own AR experiences for social media? A5: Yes, many social media platforms offer tools and resources for users to create their own AR experiences. Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat all provide AR development platforms and tools for creating custom filters, games, and other interactive experiences.
Q6: Are there age restrictions for using SocialAR? A6: The age restrictions for using SocialAR vary depending on the platform and the specific AR experiences. Generally, social media platforms have minimum age requirements for creating accounts and accessing certain features, including AR.
Q7: How can businesses benefit from incorporating SocialAR into their marketing strategies? A7: Businesses can benefit from SocialAR by engaging users with interactive and immersive experiences, increasing brand awareness, driving user engagement, and driving sales through AR shopping experiences.
Q8: Are SocialAR experiences accessible to users with disabilities? A8: Social media platforms are working to make AR experiences more accessible to users with disabilities by implementing features like voice navigation, screen readers, and alternative text descriptions. However, accessibility may vary depending on the specific AR experience.
Q9: What privacy considerations should I be aware of when using SocialAR? A9: When using SocialAR, it’s important to be aware of privacy considerations such as the collection of personal data, including images and location information, by social media platforms. Users should review and understand the privacy policies and settings of each platform.
Q10: Where can I find more information and resources about SocialAR development and trends? A10: To learn more about SocialAR development and trends, you can visit the developer documentation and resources provided by Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. Additionally, you can follow industry news and blogs for the latest updates and insights into the world of SocialAR.
