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Here's Where You Can You Use Snapchat's 3D Bitmoji & What The Heck World Lenses Are
On Sept. 14, Snapchat launched its coolest invention to date — the 3D Bitmoji. For those of you who weren't impressed with Snapchat's original Bitmoji (where's the thrill in making a two-dimensional emoji of yourself, right?), the 3D Bitmoji ups the ante by allowing users to create a three-dimensional Bitmoji of themselves that can be animated. Considering it's less than appealing to exist as a real person in the world right now, you're going to want to know exactly where you can use Snapchat's 3D Bitmoji.
The best part about the 3D Bitmoji is that it's pretty easy to use. To kick off your augmented reality experience, all you have to do is make sure your Bitmoji creation (here's a primer on how to create a Bitmoji) is connected to your Snapchat. Once you've confirmed the two are connected, you open up Snapchat and "make sure it's using your rear-facing camera, and tap the screen," according to POPSUGAR. At this point, five new "World Lenses" should become visible. If you have no idea what World Lenses are (it's OK, I had no idea either), they "add augmented reality elements to any scene you can capture with your camera, placing 3D objects you can actually walk around with your smartphone’s camera," according to Tech Crunch.
Once your World Lenses have loaded, you can pick whichever one strikes your fancy. The five standard World Lenses include an animated skateboard, disco ball, backpack, water cooler, and spectacles. Snapchat also introduced a set of "New World Lenses" in April, one being a lens that allows users to "plant seeds on the ground, which then turn into flowers," according to Mashable. Once you choose your World Lens, you're then free to animate your Bitmoji however you'd like. The sky's the limit, folks!
Now that you have an idea about how 3D Bitmoji works, it's time to go over where you can use it, which is literally everywhere. Of course, it's important to note that your experience will be limited to where you're facing your camera at the time. That being said, you can use 3D Bitmoji at cool locations all around the world, or you can keep it casual by using the feature at work, at home, or in your doomsday bunker.
Here are some cool examples to get a gist of where people are using the 3D Bitmoji:
OK, so it seems like the running theme here is that most people are bored at work. I guess it's too awkward to play with one's 3D-animated self in a more public or crowded setting? Well, at least people have a new way to pass the time when things gets slow at the office.
As for any hiccups using the 3D Bitmoji, The Daily Dot writer Christina Bonnington noted that some lenses won't appear in certain locations:
... At my apartment, for example, I don’t see any World Lenses at all. At some nearby coffee shops and offices, however, several of the new animated World Lenses show up as options, including the dancing one above.
Of course, it's expected that Snapchat's new feature will have its flaws. The 3D Bitmoji experience has only been out for a week, and Snapchat still has some way to go to make sure the feature is running smoothly for everyone.
Tech issues aside, people seem to really like the 3D Bitmoji overall. Even if you're not into Snapchat (the endless filters are too much for me to handle), it's hard to argue that the 3D Bitmoji isn't a cool idea, especially when you can use it anywhere. Who knows, maybe the world will one day see a Bitmoji floating around in space.
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