【temple of eroticism】Snapchat places Scan feature front and center

Snapchat got closer to turning its camera into a full-fledged visual search engine on temple of eroticismThursday by putting its Scan feature front and center.

Launched two years ago, Scan analyzeswhat the camera sees and suggests actions.

For example, scanning a person's body will pull up suggestions for full-body lenses. Through app partnerships, scanning a plant or a bottle of wine will display details about the object. As of Thursday, you can also get shoppable search results for clothing.

---

You May Also Like

---

---

Snapchat has been steadily increasing its Scan capabilities, but you sort of had to already know about them to access the feature. Similar to how users had to activate face lenses, scanning required pressing and holding on the object in the camera screen. Now Snapchat is putting the Scan button right underneath the camera button.

Via Giphy

When you Scan, you'll be able to pull up a menu from the bottom of the screen. Say you're scanning a dog: You'll see suggested ways to play with your photo or image in AR, find options to get more information about the dog, and see other things you can do with Scan.

The first menu result is "shortcuts," a new feature that takes users to a screen with multiple lens and multimedia options. When scanning a dog, a shortcut lets you turn your dog into a cartoon through a combination of lenses and effects. While shortcuts contain multiple AR effects, the Scan menu also features suggested lenses based on what your camera is looking at.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

Next, the Scan menu shows actions you can take to identify the object. Snap has partnered with a variety of identification apps, such as PlantSnap, Shazam, and, yes, Dog Scanner, that show information about what you're focusing your camera on (or what song you're hearing). These app integrations won't surface unless the object fits into one of those categories, and Snapchat has continued adding partnerships over the years.

The identifications aren't always accurate: Dog Scanner thinks my 100 percent mutt is a Shiba Inu, and the product scanner got no results when I pointed it at a common bottle of an over-the-counter pain killer.

Finally, there's a menu section to "Discover more with Scan," which lists other things you can do with Scan, including "identify a product." Soon, Snap says users will be able to scan photos from the camera roll just as they would from the camera's live view.

Snapchat gives me a bunch of options when I "scan" my dog. Credit: screenshot: Snapchat A menu of capabilities in Scan. Credit: screenshot: snapchat

It's easy to see how Snap could monetize Scan. Like Google does, why not let brands pay to prominently surface (ad-labeled) visual search results? What if Snap eventually takes a cut of Snap-enabled purchases? Snap already has sponsored lenses: Why not feature them in Scan results?

Scan’s potential makes it ripe for other platforms to copy.

Instagram feebly tried to imitate the earliest iteration of Snap's Scan, called Snapcodes. They are scannable QR codes that take users to a Snapchat profile or external website. Instagram's version is Nametags, which link to Instagram's profiles.

While Instagram doesn't have the best track recordof keeping up with Snap's AR innovations, we’re sure it’s at least looking over Snapchat's shoulder.

Topics Instagram Snapchat Social Media Virtual Reality

• focus
• explore
• recreation
• relaxation
• knowledge
• fashion
• hotspot
• synthesize

• Yuasa’s ‘Mind Game’ at Nuart
• PSA: Instagram polls are NOT anonymous
• If you want to include a good dog in your next Airbnb rental, we have the place for you
• Apple's Liquid Glass redesign is dividing the internet
• JUMBO TEAM получила квоту на LAN
• Buff kangaroo probably has a very particular set of skills, and will find you
• House cat perfectly photobombs a live news report of cougar sightings in Mississippi
• Richard Branson is getting in on Hyperloop
• JANM, Heart Mountain Foundation to Host Film Screening, Panel Discussion
• The NFL might ban players from kneeling during the national anthem

• Mark Zuckerberg gives up on doing personal 'yearly challenges'
• Ignore the claim that streaming Netflix ‘makes climate change worse’
• Dell's flexible display concept hints at a bendy laptop future
• Prince Charles posts rare video message to Australians affected by bushfire crisis
• It’s almost 1099 time. Stay on track with 50% off QuickBooks Online.
• Here's a simple trick for getting over someone
• New renders show what Apple's new budget phone could look like, whatever it's called
• Lizzo lends a hand packing hampers for people affected by Australia's bushfire crisis
• Intel has a huge tablet that folds into an all
• Stator's big

• Bonsai Tool Sharpening Demonstration
• Triggered VP Mike Pence leaves NFL game, tweets about it
• ESPN suspends Jemele Hill for tweeting about NFL advertiser boycott
• Fresh Hell
• ‘Ponyo’ Kicks Off Studio Ghibli Fest
• A Virginia donut shop made Harry Potter Butterbeer doughnuts for all the poor muggles out there
• Donald Trump challenged Rex Tillerson to an IQ test
• Trump suggests this is the 'calm before the storm,' and no one is laughing but him
• Applicants for 2018 Miss Pasadena JCI Sought
• Professor gives an explosive rant against pomegranates, but there's a good reason

• ‘Art of Shinkansen’ Exhibition This Weekend
• Airbnb is opening its very own apartment building (that sounds a lot like a hotel)
• Triggered VP Mike Pence leaves NFL game, tweets about it
• Colin Kaepernick, Snoop Dogg, and more react to Eminem's heated anti
• Heritage Source Open House This Saturday
• Seth Rogen learned the hard way that you don't ignore Mom
• 21 Halloween costumes ideas for all you book worms out there
• Donald Trump challenged Rex Tillerson to an IQ test
• ‘Harimaya Bridge’ Screening at SFV Hongwanji Temple
• Terry Crews had a very personal response to Harvey Weinstein's victims