Snapchat Updates: Halloween Lenses & Visual Search

Snapchat is expanding its product scanning capabilities with new updates and has also launched Halloween Lenses building on its body-tracking technology.

With 2D Full Body Tracking, Lenses that move with the entire body can be created. Halloween Lenses, one of the new Snapchat updates, are built on this technology.

Halloween Lenses

Snapchat has pioneered face lenses, but they took it a step further with AR filters that track the full body. With the newly added Halloween lenses, users can turn into digital characters, don Halloween costumes, and trick or treat virtually.

Users can move around, do a dance, or something more, but they while staying within the frame. The capability can also be used for ads with businesses launching brand-themed costumes that users can engage with and share with their friends.

Visual Search

Visual Search was launched in collaboration with Amazon, which enabled users to search for a product by pointing their app’s camera to a physical product or its barcode.

Also Read: Snapchat rolls out a new feature called Sounds

Once the item was detected, an Amazon card would appear on-screen leading to the Amazon app (if installed) or their website where users can buy the product.

The scanning capabilities were further expanded with branded AR experiences that can be unlocked by the Snapchat camera pointing at a brand logo or barcode on products. McDonald’s and Coca Cola were one of the first brands to test branded experiences initiated by Snapchat Scan.

Now, Snapchat is going further by adding food and wine labels to the visual search capabilities, as reported by Engadget.

Scanning the barcode of a food label will display some nutritional details, and health benefits, provided by nutrition app Yuka.

Scanning a bottle of wine would open a window with the price details, rating, and a brief description of the product.