San Francisco: Popular social media app Snapchat is launching a new feature called “Custom Landmarkers” that lets creators build unique AR experiences for local places they care about.
The company said the feature, which is accessible in its Lens Studio, can be used to create landmarkers for things like statues and storefronts in creators’ local communities.
The new feature is rolling out after first being teased at Snap’s Lens Fest event back in December. The new custom landmarkers are discoverable through physical Snapcodes displayed at the landmark or on a Lens creator’s profile, reports TechCrunch.
Snapchat said the launch is part of its efforts to continuously advance its AR platform and enable its community of 250,000 Lens creators to build new experiences that enhance the way users learn and explore.
“In 2019, we started with templates of 30 beloved sites around the world which creators could build upon called Landmarkers,” the company said in a statement.
“But there’s an infinite number of places for our AR creator community to build anchored, location-based Lenses. Today, we’re launching Custom Landmarkers in Lens Studio, letting creators anchor Lenses to local places they care about to tell richer stories about their communities through AR,” it added.
Lens Creators who are part of Snap’s Lens Network received early access to the custom landmarkers and have already launched AR experiences in their communities.
The company said that as it continues to evolve its AR platform, it wants to ensure that the experiences built by creators support the wellbeing of its users.
To achieve this, Snapchat moderates AR content on its platform. It noted that its moderation teams approve all Lenses before they’re publicly accessible.