Snapchat now has a standalone app for making gen AI augmented actuality results

Snapchat has been experimenting with generative AI-powered augmented actuality lenses in its app for the final couple years. Now, the corporate is permitting customers to make their very own with a brand new standalone app for making AR results.

Snap is introducing a brand new model of its Lens Studio software program that permits anybody to create AR lenses by means of textual content prompts and different easy enhancing instruments, and publish them on to Snapchat. To date, Lens Studio has solely been obtainable as a desktop app meant for builders and AR professionals. And whereas the brand new iOS app and net model aren’t almost as highly effective, it affords a variety of face-altering and body-morphing results because of generative AI.

“These are experimental new instruments that make it simpler than ever to create, publish, and play with Snapchat Lenses made by you,” the corporate explains in a weblog put up. “Now, you may generate your personal AI results, add your dancing Bitmoji to the enjoyable, and categorical your self with Lenses that replicate your temper or an inside joke–whether or not you’re on the go or close to your laptop. “

Snap gave me an early take a look at the Lens Studio iOS app, and I used to be pleasantly shocked by how a lot flexibility it provided. There are AI-powered instruments for reworking your face, physique and background by way of detailed textual content prompts (the app additionally affords solutions of the sorts of prompts that work nicely, like “detailed zombie head with massive eyes and nostril, plenty of particulars.”)

There is a little bit of a studying curve to determining what works nicely for every sort of impact, and among the generative AI prompts can take as much as 20 minutes to render. However the app additionally affords dozens of templates that you should use as a place to begin and remix with your personal concepts. You may as well make easier face-altering filters that do not rely as closely AI however benefit from standard Snapchat results like face cutouts or Bitmoji animations. (A couple of examples of my creations are under, each used AI to create a background I overlaid different results onto.)

Snap already has a whole bunch of 1000’s of lens creators, a few of whom have been making results for the app for years. However I can simply see this new, easier model of Lens Studio opening the door for a lot of extra. There is also some upside for creators hoping to benefit from Snapchat’s monetization packages: the corporate confirmed that customers who publish lenses from the brand new app will likely be eligible to take part in its Lens Creator Rewards program, which pays creators who make standard AR results.

A extra accessible model of Lens Studio might additionally assist Snap compete with Meta for AR expertise. (Meta shut down Spark AR, its platform that allowed creators to make AR for Instagram final 12 months.) Along with Snapchat’s in-app results, the corporate is now on its second technology of standalone AR glasses. Extra lately, Snap has centered on big-name builders to make glasses-ready results, however the firm has beforehand leaned on Lens Creators to provide you with fascinating use instances for AR glasses. These varieties of integrations will doubtless require rather more than what’s presently obtainable within the new pared-down model of Lens Studio, however making AR creation extra accessible (with the assistance of AI) raises some fascinating potentialities for what may someday be attainable for the corporate.

Jim Lanzone, the CEO of Engadget’s mother or father firm Yahoo, joined the board of administrators at Snap on September 12, 2024. Nobody outdoors of Engadget’s editorial group has any say in our protection of the corporate.