Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Snap partners with Camo app creator to bring AR streaming to your phone

Snap Inc. and Reincubate — creator of the Camo app — have joined together to offer an augmented reality experience that marries Camo’s overlay, zoom, pan, and other features to Snapchat. The new feature allows users to use Snap’s Camera Kit with their streaming, video chats, gaming, professional meetings, and more.

This isn’t the first time Snapchat has dabbled with augmented reality, but unlike the 2019 paint tool, the Camera Kit is designed specifically to make augmented reality a lot more intuitive and natural during streams and other video events.

Who can use it and for how much?

The use of Snap’s Camera Kit is completely free, so you don’t have to worry about having content restricted or behind any paywalls. Those using iOS, Windows, or MacOS can use the AR Camera Kit today, while those operating with Android will have to wait for support to be added sometime later in 2021. Options will also be implemented to help creators monetize their creations to promote a healthy and productive ecosystem of content. And a live showcase and celebration of the AR features from Camo will start at 10 a.m. PT today for the Camera Kit’s release.

What does the Camera Kit do?

Those who wish to use the kit can easily do so by finding the AR lenses in the Camo Studio. Once selected, a dozen launch lens options will pop up to use. Each of them generally falls into one of four categories:

  • Focus
  • Accessibility
  • Masking
  • Novelty

These categories give users multiple choices in highlighting the focus on the speaker in their streams, more easily convey emotions and visual cues for watchers, provide better attempts at effortless masking, and offer a wider variety of lenses to just have fun and experiment with.

Camo – Future of AR and video

More on augmented reality

While the other great AR apps of 2021 don’t work directly with ongoing streaming, they do offer a wide array of options to those looking for different AR uses and ideas. The Camera Kit might be the first of them to finally make AR apps mainstream and a must-use. While only 12 lenses will launch with the Camera Kit, creators will begin to release new content to keep fans of the Camera Kit surrounded with plenty of options to pick from.

Editors' Recommendations

Elizabeth Tirk
Elizabeth is a small town writer based out of the US, focusing mainly on mobile tech news. Part of her interest in tech is…
Best Apple Watch deals: Series 9 and Ultra 2 discounted
Someone wearing an Apple Watch Ultra 2, showing the Modular Ultra watch face.

If you're deep into the Apple ecosystem, or you simply want a wearable device that will pair extremely well with your iPhone, then you should be looking to purchase an Apple Watch. Since it was first launched in 2015, there have been several models of the Apple Watch, with features that improve each year. Of course, you'll want to buy the latest tech, so we've gathered all the offers that we could find for the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. For those who want to stick to a tight budget, we've also rounded up bargains for the Apple Watch SE. If you're not too sure about the Apple Watch, then take a look at the other smartwatch deals that we've come across.
Best Apple Watch SE deals

The first-generation Apple Watch SE, which was released in 2020, and the second-generation Apple Watch SE, which was rolled out in 2022, are the most affordable ways of getting an Apple Watch. They don't give up too much in order to keep costs low compared to their more expensive peers though. The Apple Watch SE 2, in particular, still provides comprehensive fitness tracking features, a comfortable fit, and excellent software as it can be updated to Apple's latest watchOS 10.

Read more
How one of my favorite Android phones actually changed my life
Man using OnePlus Open black color with one hand while sitting on a couch.

"Nobody exists on purpose. Nobody belongs anywhere. Everybody's gonna die. Come watch TV." I was reminded of this soul-crushing monolog while doing a rerun of Rick and Morty before diving into the latest season. These lines rattled me, not for their essence, but because they echoed with my low spirits at that moment. Lying on the couch, I curled into the blanket and watched a few more episodes.

I was watching the show on the OnePlus Open and couldn't possibly imagine the same experience using any other phone or tablet. It's not because the OnePlus Open is one of my favorite phones of this year (it is, but that's not related), but because it is one of the most helpful phones with a feature-rich software experience and screen real-estate of a tiny tablet like the iPad mini.

Read more
Best Google Pixel deals: Save on Pixel 8, Pixel Buds, and Pixel Watch
The home screen on the Google Pixel 8 Pro.

Google's Pixel brand, like Samsung's Galaxy line, includes smartphones, tablets, wireless earbuds, and smartwatches. Google is always innovating, so you can be sure that updates to these devices, including through new Android releases, will continue to add more features, make improvements, and plug any security issues. If you're interested in Google Pixel deals, check out the bargains below, and once something catches your eye, it's highly recommended that you proceed with the purchase immediately as we're not sure how much time is remaining on these discounts.
Google Pixel Buds deals

If you need new wireless earbuds, you should check out the various models of the Google Pixel Buds, which range from the budget Google Pixel Buds A-Series to the premium Google Pixel Buds Pro. They offer long battery life and while they're at their best when you're connecting them to another Pixel device or an Android-powered smartphone, you can also use with with iPhones or other Bluetooth-enabled gadgets.

Read more