Google has a nice feature when you search for certain animals: you can view different animals in augmented reality on your iPhone. Even dinosaurs can now be viewed in 3D. It goes like this.
Augmented reality animals Google: that’s how it works
A dinosaur in your living room, or a goat under your table: when you search for an animal, you can watch a 3D animation in the room where you are, via augmented reality.
Would you like to give it a try? In a few simple steps you can conjure up a wide variety of four-legged friends, feathered friends, reptiles and deep-sea creatures in the space where you sit. The feature only works if your iPhone supports ARCore, which is also used for Pokémon Go’s AR feature. That is how it works.
- Open Safari or Google Chrome. If Google is not your default search engine, open Google.com first;
- Type an animal that you want to see in AR in the search bar. Later in this article we provide a list of animals shown in AR;
- Scroll down. If the animal is available in AR, you will see a picture of the animal with the text: “View a life size [dier] up close ”;
- Tap the ‘View in 3D’ button. A moving 3d model will now appear on the screen. You can rotate it in all directions and you can zoom in and out with two fingers;
- Tap the ‘Show in your room’ button to activate the AR feature;
- Follow the instructions on the screen. Point the camera at the place where you want to show the animal. Move the camera gently back and forth. Within seconds an animal appears on the screen.
When you see the 3D animal, you can move the animal and make it bigger or smaller. When you tap on ‘Object transition’ at the top right, the level differences of objects in the room are recognized. The 3d animal is then adjusted to this, so that it looks like it is on or under something.
You can take a photo with the round button at the bottom. This will then be saved in your Camera Roll. To go back, tap the cross in the top left corner.
You can view these animals in 3D
The list of augmented reality animals has already expanded considerably and continues to grow. Recently you can even go back in time and see dinosaurs with your camera. In collaboration with the Jurassic World filmmakers, Google has added ten dinosaurs to the AR animals list. You can see a giant T-Rex stomping through your living room, or see a Pteranodon spreading its wings. The following dinosaurs are available in the AR feature:
- Tyrannosaurus Rex
- Velociraptor
- Triceratops
- Spinosaurus
- Stegosaurus
- Brachiosaurus
- Ankylosaurus
- Dilophosaurus
- Pteranodon
- Parasaurolophus
You can also view a considerable number of contemporary animal species via augmented reality. These animals have at least an AR version. Search results in Google can differ per person and per device, so one animal may not work for you.
- Eagle
- Alligator
- Brown bear
- Cheetah
- A D
- Hedgehog
- Goat
- Shark
- Dog or: Rottweiler, Pug, Labrador
- Cat
- King Python
- Lion
- Octopus
- Horse
- Panda
- Penguin
- Turtle
- Shetland pony
- Tiger
- Raccoon
- Wolf
- Monkfish
More about augmented reality
The feature itself isn’t all that new: last year Google announced the use of AR in search results. Google is also testing augmented reality for Google Maps. Google isn’t alone in developing AR features. Apple is also working on AR glasses. Meanwhile, even more large companies are working on augmented reality. On our overview page you can read what is currently being worked on in the field of augmented reality.