Every day, people use Snapchat to express themselves, live in the moment, and learn about the world around them — and 2021 was no different.
Today, for the first time, we’re sharing a ‘Lens on the Year’, an annual celebration of the Lenses that revolutionized the way Snapchatters created, explored, learned and played in 2021. These 50 Lenses -- made by Snap and AR creators like Amélie Tremblay, Lauren Cason -- offer a unique window into the year’s cultural moments, achievements in AR innovation, and trends that had a lasting impact.
“We're amazed by the creativity and technical prowess of our community that has supercharged Snapchatter's appetite for augmented reality. This year, we've continued to see Lens Creators, as well as our team here at Snap, build Lenses that not only help Snapchatters better express themselves, but help them learn about the world around them and solve problems in their daily lives.” - Sophia Dominguez, Snap’s head of AR platform partnerships.
From shopping and music to social good and AR innovation, here’s a snapshot of the list:
Cutting Edge Tech: Pushing the boundaries of AR — everyday.
Over the years, we’ve taken some of the most innovative technologies and applied them to AR. Concepts that many consider futuristic are actually being used by millions of Snapchatters each day, built by our thriving community of AR experts.
The Future of Shopping is Here: Because AR is the new dressing room.
AR is the future of shopping — it can help visualize not just how a pair of sunglasses looks, but how it looks on you. Going beyond today’s online 2D shopping experience, AR makes trying on clothes completely custom. From Prada to MAC Cosmetics, there are so many ways to express your style and get your hands on the most covetable items of the year.
What’s Poppin’: You couldn’t have missed it.
With over 500 million monthly active users, Lenses offer a unique window into the year’s cultural moments and trends. This viral list — featuring everyone’s favorite ‘Little Bernie’ all the way to Squid Game — is a glimpse into the memes, content, and characters that took the world by storm in 2021.
Do Good: Lenses with you — and the world — in mind.
The Snapchat Generation cares about the world around them, and Lenses are a way to engage with the issues that are important to them and their friends. From helping Snapchatters see themselves as the next generation of leaders to expanding awareness around climate change and the dangers of fentanyl, our Camera played an important role in driving social change.
Turn Up The Volume: Say it with a Sound.
Sounds on Snapchat have been a hit, with more than 1.2 billion video Snaps created and 77 billion views since the feature launched last year. We’re changing the way our community listens to and discovers new music, enabling real friends to recommend and share music and create entertaining video content together. From J Balvin and Olivia Rodrigo, to emerging artists like Julia Wolf, there was no shortage of hits.
Join us as we celebrate a year of creativity, communication, and discovery!