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May 11, 2026
May 11, 2026

Inside the First Spectacles Developer Bootcamp

Last month, we welcomed 45 of our most active Spectacles developers to Snap Inc.’s Santa Monica headquarters for a full day with the engineering teams building the platform. Over the past year, the developers building on Spectacles have shipped some of the most ambitious AR experiences we’ve ever seen, and they’ve done it together: trading ideas in our Discord, answering each other’s questions on Reddit, and pushing each other forward through Community Challenges.

Our first-ever Spectacles Developer Bootcamp brought our community together in person, creating space for developers to showcase what they’ve been building, and for our engineering teams to engage with them directly. It was a meaningful investment in the people shaping our ecosystem: a chance to share technical expertise, exchange ideas, and equip them to build even more ambitious experiences. We welcomed developers from around the world including Zambia, Sweden, and Belgium, all coming together in one room.

Going Deep with the Teams Behind Spectacles

The Bootcamp agenda was built around what developers told us they wanted most: more time with the engineers behind Spectacles, more depth on the tools they use every day, and a real look at where the platform is heading. Across the day, we covered:

  • The road ahead for SnapOS: an early look at the next chapter of SnapOS and the developer tooling we’re building alongside it.

  • Sparse mapping, in depth: a technical walkthrough of how Spectacles understands and remembers physical spaces, and how to design Lenses that take full advantage of it.

  • AI-native Lens development: including a session on Agent Manager and a hands-on look at how AI tools are changing the way developers build on Spectacles.

  • Spatial UI and performance: practical techniques like decimation and shader optimization for Lenses that look and feel great on Spectacles.

  • Building with Snap Cloud: tips on using Supabase for persistent AR

  • How to get the most out of the SIK and UI Kit: a tool-by-tool guide

Bringing the Community Together

The sessions were only part of the story. For many of the developers in the room, the Bootcamp was the first time meeting peers they’d known online for years. Watching them swap projects and trade ideas about what’s possible on Spectacles, and soon SPECS, was a reminder of how far this community has come and how much further we can go when we bring it together in person.

"This was one of the most valuable Snap events I've attended. The mix of vision, hands on content, and direct access to the team made a big difference,” said developer Baruch Geuze. “It really shifted my mindset from 'making lenses' to thinking in terms of spatial products and long-term use cases.”

The Spectacles developer community is one of the most technically ambitious and supportive groups in AR, and we were thrilled by the opportunity for them to connect with each other and with our team.

Looking Ahead to AWE

The Bootcamp was just the beginning. We’re already looking forward to the next chapter, starting with AWE this June where we’ll have more to share about SPECS, our developer program, and what’s coming next for the community building the future of AR.

Developer Steven Wolpe summed up the experience this way: "I left feeling inspired by all the other creators and devs and by the Spectacles team themselves. It definitely charged my battery! Can't wait for AWE and what comes next!"

To everyone who joined us this time, thank you. We can’t wait to see what you build next.

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