Snapchat Has Rolled Out Its First Lens That Reacts To Sound

Tired of sticking your tongue out to watch that Snapchat augmented reality mask change into a puppy dog face or your face in a dancing doll? Snapchat has a new lens reaction that responds to sound.

The messaging social media app’s latest addition is an animal mask with ears that pulse and shine, as well eyes that move, depending on the sound your phone’s microphone picks up. It also appears to react more at greater volumes.

“It’s a cute animal mask overlay for your face, with ears that pulse and glow, and eyes that move based on the sounds it hears. Snapchat says it’s just the first of many,” Engadget reports.

Previously, certain Snapchat Lenses could only respond to facial gestures — for example opening your mouth, or raising your eyebrows might trigger an animation. This latest feature, however, responds to sound.

Snapchat’s “Lenses” is one of its “face filters” feature that comes with two options, “Face Lenses” and “World Lenses”. “Face Lenses” allows the users to turn into something different along with voice changes. On the other hand, “World Lenses” lets the users recreate and reimagine the surroundings around them and lets them bring characters to life.

Snapchat’s last major update to its popular Lenses feature was something called Snappables, which were interactive augmented reality games that launched in April. Now, it appears that the company is adding even more diversity to the filters. Also in April,  Snapchat announced its “Lens Studio” software that allows users to create 2D and 3D Augmented Reality (AR)-based selfie lenses and unlock new filters created by other Snapchat users and artists.

Despite its recent blowback for its much-maligned redesign, which was recently updated, where all snaps and chats are aligned chronologically and Stories from friends have been moved back to the right-hand side of the camera screen. But the previous redesign was rejected by users. Lenses has still a core feature of the app. With this new addition, Snapchat continues to add some of the most original photo and video filters available on any service.

Snapchat says it plans to launch many more sound-reacting Lenses in the future, with some set to roll out over the coming weeks.

The new sound-reacting Lens is now available in the Snapchat app on Android and iOS.