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Snapchat introduces 3D camera mode to add dimension to selfies

Snapchat introduces 3D camera mode to add dimension to selfies

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You need an iPhone X or newer

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Snapchat continues to up its selfie game, and today it’s introducing a new camera mode that it says makes selfies more 3D-like. Starting today, people with an iPhone X or newer can use “3D Camera Mode” to capture a selfie and and apply 3D effects, lenses, and filters to it. People who receive or take these Snaps, even if they don’t have an iPhone X, can move their phone around to get a better sense of the dimensions. A Snap spokesperson says the company will eventually support additional devices.

Snap first introduced the idea for 3D effects with Snaps when it announced its latest version of Spectacles, which include a second camera to capture depth. The effects and filters add things like confetti, light streaks, and miscellaneous animations.

The 3D selfies captured in Snapchat can be shared on the app or saved to a user’s camera roll and shared elsewhere. Sharing outside the app will take away the ability for people to move their phone around to change the image’s perspective. I haven’t had a chance to test this mode yet, but I’m particularly interested to see how the 3D photos translate outside of Snapchat, given that Snapchat’s most popular features are often used in the app and then saved to share on Instagram.