TechCrunch says Lens Studio will make augmented reality more developer friendly and accessible to creatives outside of Snap, making it less of a challenge the company has to accomplish on its own. With heightened competition from Instagram as well as FacebookвЂ™s recent rollout of World EffectsВ for its AR Camera Effects platform, Lens Studio keeps Snapchat in the game. Brands, news publishers, and developers will have to promote their own QR Snapcodes, through which users can access the special Lens for 24 hours.В BusinessesВ willВ need to pay for Sponsored Lens ads for Snapchat to include theВ createdВ Lenses in its camera.В At this time, developers can only use Lens Studio for World LensesВ (not selfie masks). Lens Studio allows developers to create Lenses without necessarily having to go through SnapchatвЂ™s in-house AR design team and agency partnerships, according to TechCrunch.В It takes AR creativity to a wholeВ new level. Officially launched on December 14, Lens Studio gives developers the ability toВ make 3D World Lens objectsВ in photos and videos.

Snapchat has blurred the lines that otherwise haveВ distinguishedВ it as a solely mobile experience with the rollout of Lens Studio, aВ desktop AR developer tool. Snapchat released a dancing hotdog front-facing filter that went viral.

Lens studio lens