Snapchat is a popular and most admired augmented reality application. AR has seen a drastic growth since its first system development in the 1990s. It has been expected that by 2023, AR market revenue will reach $61.39 billion USD.
AR-enabled apps are capable of creating an interactive experience with physical elements. In a live view, AR adds a few digital elements. For example, the ability of the IKEA app to show how furniture will look at your place or Snapchat filters changing the way you look.
This is done with the help of the camera of a smartphone. The digital elements are added to the view that is captured by the camera lens. Some popular AR apps like Snapchat are Pokemon Go, Google maps, IKEA, etc.
This technology has the capability to interact with users and make highly interactive apps. There are very few chances that an AR app will fail. If you are an entrepreneur and considering developing an app like Snapchat then it is a smart vision, I must say.
This is because when an app provides interactivity, it also generates revenue. Here are the three queries which every entrepreneur who is planning to get an app as Snapchat raises.
How does an app like Snapchat works?
How does an app like Snapchat make money?
What are the top AR tools to develop an app like Snapchat?
Here are the answers to all these queries in detail.
How does an app like Snapchat works?
Snapchat is a multimedia app for messaging. It has 210 million daily active users. It is highly popular among the younger generation. It was launched in 2011 with limited features but since then there are a number of features added to the app. Here is a list of features of Snapchat that forms its core functionality:
Message exchange:
It is not like your regular messaging app. It has allowed its users to add multimedia messages called snaps.
Self-destructed messages:
This is the feature which is an important reason behind its popularity. As soon as the user views the message, it gets deleted. If the user does not view the snap, the server will delete it after 30 days.
Stickers:
Snapchat has 200 stickers and they have become an integral part of the app. You can design your own stickers too.
Geolocation:
You can share live location with your friends. The location will appear on the snap map.
Finding and adding friends:
To increase your social network, you can add friends on Snapchat. Apart from finding friends through phone numbers or user names, you can use some smart ways as well. These are Snapcodes are personalized QR codes that can be scanned to follow a user. Another option of Add nearby locations allows users to find users around their location.
Filter:
It is the most popular feature of this app which is based on two active shape models. The lens detects the face of the people by marking the face border. It aligns the facial borders with an image provided. This is done with the use of a machine learning algorithm. Moreover, there is a 3D mask which allows users to set accessories with their face.
Video and audio call:
You can connect over friends and family with just a tap on the video call button or audio call button.
Stories:
Like other popular apps like Whatsapp, Instagram, and Facebook, you can post stories that vanish in 24 stories. Users share images or videos via stories with their friends. Live stories were added later on where Snapchatters can share snaps on the same story while they are in the same event.
How does an app like Snapchat make money?
Every app has a goal to earn money and Snapchat earns a lot. Here are the channels for revenue generation:
In between snap ads:
A 10 seconds promotional video is shown to users in between snaps. Users can swipe up to read the blog or watch the full video.
Sponsored Lenses:
Businesses have the option to advertise through their customized lenses. They can target the location for their advertisement reach.
Sports partnership:
The apps develop a partnership with sports organizations to reach the audience and attract them to sports events.
In-app purchases:
There is an option to purchase additional features. For example, the option to replay a feed that the user has already seen.
What are the top AR tools to develop an app like Snapchat?
To develop an app, you are required to use some programming tools. There are some Software development kits which you can use to through software consultant company to develop an app like Snapchat:
Vuforia:
This tool has many exciting features with a free beta version. Some features are available with a watermark. The paid version has many features. It is compatible with many platforms like iOS, Windows platform, Android, etc. The data can be stored in a cloud or local storage. The USP of this tool is its usability for 2D and 3D with the use of Vuforia object scanner.
Apple ARKit:
It has gained immense popularity and one of the best tools for AR app development. But its use is restricted to iOS devices only. Its visual-inertial odometry (VIO) can be sued to track the environment with complete perfection. It can be aligned with features like Unreal and Unity to detect 2D objects. Its own face tracking feature is used to track 3D characters.
Google ARCore:
Like every other Google product, it also comes with perfection. It offers an advanced user interface and allows the AR app developers to create both Android and iOS apps. It is also compatible with Unity, Unreal, and Java/OpenGL.
Conclusion:
Reading about how an app like Snapchat works and how does it make money, it can be concluded that it is a great idea to get an app like Snapchat. You can reach an optimum level of user interactivity, earn revenues, and reach a wide audience with the help of these apps.
You can hire app developers and share your custom requirements with software consultants' services. They will find which AR tool is best suitable for your application. I hope, after reading this article, you have chosen the features and AR SDK for your next AR app development project.
Top comments (1)
How much does it cost to develop a Snapchat-like app?The complexity of the software, feature list, UI/UX design, location of the development business, and other factors all have an influence on the ultimate cost. In general, the cost of developing a messaging software like Snapchat would vary from $25,000 to $70,000, with both basic and advanced features included.