Snapchat's New Dual Camera feature also works with AR Lenses: Hands-On

 

Snapchat's latest update is a feature that looks like the company's answer to the popular BeReal app: you can use the front and back cameras at the same time. But where BeReal emphasizes using unfiltered photos, Snapchat's dual-camera feature works with tons of filters and augmented reality effects, which are more likely to come. The feature, launched on Monday, is something I played with over the weekend. This is amazingly useful.

Simultaneous dual camera apps are something that have been promising for years. Filmic Pro added dual camera support in 2020, and Apple's ARKit supported AR blending front and rear cameras back in 2019.

This feature appears in the main camera menu as an icon that looks like two cameras on top of each other. Tap it, and there are several modes to shoot: split-screen horizontally, vertically, picture-in-picture with a selfie in a small circle, and a cutout that layers the selfie shot into the previous shot. Cutout mode is my favorite and gives a TikTok-like style in real-time.

Instagram also introduced a dual camera mode earlier this year, but Snapchat's dual camera works with all its AR lenses. Currently, existing AR lenses can be added post-capture, but Snapchat is adding pre-capture dual camera lenses soon, and Creators is rolling out support for AR lenses that do so. are A Snapchat representative showed me a few examples over video chat -- two people in AR costumes having a conversation or your own AR-filtered face on the couch in your living room -- all looking fun and weird. are

According to Snapchat, the dual camera feature was originally meant for Snap creator Cam in Director mode, but the feature has been extended to the main Snapchat app... more likely the fast-changing video social apps. , will compete with TikTok and an otherwise growing field.

The AR elements of Snapchat's dual camera feature seem to be the most interesting and transformative. While this dual-camera mode isn't currently intended for AR glasses, it's conceivable that this mode could be combined with Snap's future AR glasses to simultaneously capture AR and reaction shots, or can allow for even more unusual effects.

At the moment, Dual Camera Mode runs on iOS, requiring an iPhone XS or later to work. Android support is expected in the next few months.