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Snapchat launched a standalone mobile app Wednesday that lets anyone create custom augmented reality (AR) effects using simple text prompts.
The Lens Studio iOS app and web tool marks a dramatic shift from professional-only AR development to mass accessibility. Users can now type descriptions like “detailed zombie head with big eyes” and watch artificial intelligence (AI) generate custom lenses within 20 minutes. The app includes over 50 templates, Bitmoji integration, and one-click publishing to Snapchat.
“These are experimental new tools that make it easier than ever to create, publish, and play with Snapchat Lenses made by you,” Snap wrote in a blog post. “Now, you can generate your own AI effects, add your dancing Bitmoji to the fun, and express yourself with Lenses that reflect your mood or an inside joke—whether you’re on the go or near your computer.”
Source: Snap
The move helps Snap capitalize on Meta’s 2024 decision to shut down Spark AR. That platform previously allowed third-party creators to build Instagram and Facebook AR effects before Meta angered the creator community by pulling the plug.
Snap currently has over 400,000 professional AR developers, but the company wants to expand beyond technical users. The desktop version of Lens Studio remains available for professionals working on complex projects like Spectacles-compatible effects.
The timing aligns with Snap’s broader AR ambitions. The company released new professional tools Tuesday for building turn-based Bitmoji games, demonstrating its commitment to both ends of the creator spectrum.
Creators using the simplified tools can still monetize their work. Users who publish lenses from the new app will be eligible to participate in Snap’s Lens Creator Rewards program, which pays creators who make popular AR effects.
The use of generative AI represents a significant technical leap. While some effects require up to 20 minutes to render, the system handles complex face, body, and background transformations that previously demanded coding expertise.
Snap is considered an AR leader thanks to its early use of the technology through its filters and Lenses. This gives it advantages as competitors pull back from the space.
The Lens Studio app is now available on iOS and at lensstudio.snapchat.com, potentially opening AR creation to millions of new users who have never touched code.
