Instagram has been able to virtually dress you in shades or a top hat since launching face filters earlier this year but now those same effects are accessible while live-streaming. On Thursday, September 21, Instagram announced an update that brings live face filters to the app, kitten face and all.
The update brings the augmented reality feature to live-streaming, instantly swapping out the different filters and face effects. Users can access the usual slew of face filters that are available for stills and pre-recorded video, but Instagram is also bringing a sunglasses filter exclusively to the live option. Tapping on those sunglasses will get different landscapes reflected in the lenses. The sunglasses face filter will be exclusive to live-streaming for the first week, Instagram said.
The company says that users can try on as many face filters as they like during the live broadcast. The feature to save a live-stream to Stories or discard at the end isn’t changing with the new filter compatibility. Live face filters have begun rolling out, but Instagram says the global rollout will take a few weeks, so some users may have to wait before seeing the feature.
The augmented reality face effects were first popularized by Snapchat, but now several platforms integrate the effects directly into their network, including Instagram and Facebook Camera. The ability to apply those effects in real time quickly followed suit, with Facebook testing AR effects inside live video in August.
The AR option isn’t the only Snapchat original widely imitated by other platforms — Stories was also a Snapchat original as well, though Instagram quickly gained more users accessing the feature than Snapchat. Geostickers is also on the list of Snapchat clones.
Augmented reality is growing in popularity and not just for snapping silly photos for social media. With the launch of iOS 11 earlier this week, Apple is also bringing new framework for helping developers create AR content. That framework is already sparking new ways to use the technology, like visualizing how new furniture would look in your current home with Ikea’s new app. Turning yourself into a puppy may be one of the earliest uses, but AR apps are quickly expanding in scope and features.
