Snapchat has quietly made a big change to its filters. From now on, the app knows what you are photographing, so that the effects can be adjusted accordingly.
Snapchat object recognition filters added
Mashable discovered the new object recognition filters. These roll out gradually, so it may take a while for them to show up on you too. Moreover, you do not see the filters in the overview by default, because they only appear when you point the camera at a specific object.
When you photograph a dog, bones appear and the text ‘it’s a pawty!’ Appears. Other new filters pop up when you’re capturing food or taking a photo of a tropical beach. Users soon discovered that you don’t really have to travel to a tropical island to get this filter. Simply search for a photo of a beach via Google, point your camera at it and the filter will still appear on the screen.
- Open Snapchat;
- Point the camera at a beach, pet or food;
- Tap the screen to focus;
- A new filter will now appear based on the object.
While the filters are a nice new feature for users first and foremost, it also gives Snapchat the chance to make some extra money from the app again. That is badly needed, and by designing special filters for objects and selling them, Snap Inc. a potential new source of income.
A new version of Snapchat
The new filters may already be a big change, but the biggest update in a long time is yet to come. After yet another disappointing quarter, the app decided to change course. As a result, Snapchat will soon have a completely new design that will in the first place become less confusing and should encourage people to discover more content. It is not yet clear exactly when this major update will appear. In the article below, we explain how Snapchat is going to reinvent itself.
Also read: How Snapchat is trying to save itself after a dramatic quarter
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