The Future of Spectacles: Six Months and Beyond

Celebrate Six Months of Spectacles 5th Gen with New AR Lenses, Platform Features, and Developer Rewards

March 28, 2025 – It’s been six incredible months since the launch of our fifth-generation Spectacles, and we’re thrilled to mark the occasion with exciting updates! From innovative AR Lenses and advanced platform features to a new financial reward program for AR developers, plus an exclusive interview with CEO Evan Spiegel and Spectacles developer Aidan Wolf, there’s plenty to explore. Here’s everything you need to know about the latest Spectacles enhancements.

New AR Lenses and Platform Features to Keep You Moving

Spectacles are built for seamless indoor and outdoor use, making them perfect for location-based AR experiences. We’re excited to unveil new platform capabilities that empower developers to create Lenses using GPS, GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), compass heading, and custom locations. These tools unlock a world of immersive, movement-driven AR possibilities.

NavigatAR and Path Pioneer: Navigate and Stay Active in AR

NavigatAR by Utopia Labs leverages GPS, Snap Map Tiles, and compass heading to guide you from point A to point B with ease.
Path Pioneer offers building blocks for crafting AR walking courses, encouraging activity both indoors and outdoors.

Peridot Beyond by Niantic: Multiplayer AR Fun

Niantic’s latest Peridot Beyond update introduces multiplayer functionality, letting you interact with your Dot and your friends’ Dots in real-time. Plus, progression in the Spectacles experience now syncs with rewards in the Peridot mobile game.

Doggo Quest: Gamify Your Dog Walks

For pet lovers, Doggo Quest by Wabisabi uses SnapML to recognize your dog, overlay fun visual effects, and track walking routes and step counts. Collect virtual bones and other rewards as you go!

Basketball Trainer: Master Your Shot in AR

Perfect your three-pointer with Basketball Trainer, featuring a holographic AR coach and shooting drills. Powered by SnapML, it automatically tracks your score for a fully immersive practice session.

Enhanced Platform Features for AR Developers

We’re rolling out powerful new tools to elevate Lens creation:

Leaderboards: Add competitive flair to your Lenses with easy-to-integrate leaderboards.
AR Keyboard: Enable text input with a full and numeric AR keyboard layout for seamless typing.
Advanced Hand Tracking: New capabilities include phone detection, grab gestures, and improved targeting intent to minimize false positives.
Improved Lens Unlock: Open Lens links directly from messaging apps like Snapchat, iMessage, or Google Messages.

These updates make it easier than ever to build engaging, user-friendly AR experiences.

Spectacles Community Challenges: Cash Prizes for AR Developers

Following the success of Challenge Tags, we’re introducing Spectacles Community Challenges, a new way for AR developers to earn cash rewards. Partnering with Lenslist, we’re offering over $20,000 monthly to creators of top-performing Lenses.

How It Works

Submit: Developers can submit new or updated Lenses starting April 1 for May prizes.
Categories: Prizes awarded to the top 5 new Lenses, top 5 updated Lenses, and top open-source Lens.
Judging Criteria: Engagement, technical excellence, and Lens quality.
Eligibility: Lenses must meet Lens Explorer standards and cannot be actively funded by the Lens Fund.
Winners: Announced on the 15th of each month (or the next business day).

With no limit on submissions, this is a golden opportunity for AR creators to showcase their skills and earn big!

Exclusive Interview: Evan Spiegel and Aidan Wolf Talk Spectacles

To cap off this celebration, our CEO Evan Spiegel and veteran Spectacles developer Aidan Wolf sat down for a candid conversation. They dive into Aidan’s journey as a Snap AR developer, the evolution of Spectacles, and their vision for the future of AR. Watch the full interview below or click here.