It definitely sounds like something you’d hear from a sci-fi movie or a novel, but, yes, you’ve read it right, and it’s real.
Snapchat can now help you identify the breed of whatever dog you come across or the name of the curious plant you randomly see on a stranger’s balcony, which you might be dying to know but you just can’t bring yourself to ask the owner because you don’t want to creep them out or anything.
With its new partnership with Dog Scanner, Snapchat now offers its users an AR camera function that can identify almost 400 breeds. Just point your camera at the wondrous creature, then press and hold, and you should be able to ‘scan’ the doggo.
The fun doesn’t stop there though, because it apparently works on people, too. Finding out what dog you most resemble is absolutely something worth knowing for all the dog lovers out there.
Plants and trees enthusiasts are in for a treat as well.
The new PlantSnap integration gives Snapchat’s AR camera the ability to identify 90 percent of all known plants and trees with more than 600,000 types in their database. With this function, which is like an encyclopedia, really, gone are the days when you have to part ways with a beautiful plant or tree without knowing even just its name.
But this new Scan function will not only inform you of the name of the unknown plant, it will also tell you its origin and will give you tips on how to take care of it. How cool is that?
Snapchatters can also look forward to the Nutrition Scanner powered by Yuka, which will allow users “to get a rating on the quality of ingredients in many packaged foods.”
Louis Vuitton is also getting its own Snapchat Scan function soon. When users scan its monogram, they will be taken to a virtual installation featuring LV’s classic trunks and latest collections.
All these new Snap ventures, along with the already existing partnerships with Shazam, Amazon, and Photomath, make the AR camera function of the app useful not just for entertainment but also for more important tasks like online shopping, food preparation, gardening, and even homework!