Snapchat brings Bitmoji to everyday reality with World Lenses filters

Snapchat’s World Lenses filter feature is now supported by Bitmoji, an app which creates animated caricatures. These can then be used as comicstrips. However, this time Bitmoji has extended beyond comic strips. It comes in 3D animation mode as well. More than that, it is now supported by Snapchat. [caption id=“attachment_4028449” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Snapchat. Reuters.[/caption] The linking of the two has given a new meaning to Snap Stories. It uses augmented reality and a smartphone’s camera to create thes expressive stories. This can be achieved through the World Lenses filter feature in the app. To begin with this new creative feature, the user has to position the smartphone camera in the rear mode and not selfie mode. Since the Bitmoji is linked to the app, an animated version appears on the left hand corner of the app. Keeping the camera in the rear mode, the user can select filters available at the bottom. The 3D animated avatar appears only for select filters and not for all. Basically wherever there is a need for facial recognition, it does not appear. Using the World Lenses feature, the filter is added to the background. These filters are as varied as a pscyhedelic disco ball, butterflies, yoga mat, or a coffee mug. Along with it the cartoon also appears. The caricature’s movements depends upon the filter selected. These Bit **Snaps** can be quite interesting unlike their Bitstrip counterparts. For instance, the user can see their animated bitmoji version doing yoga on a keyboard! Infact by zooming in and zooming out on the screen the cartoon changes its size. These snaps are as long as the usual snaps on Snapchat. Along with this, one can add the usual text and emoticons to the snap. These are available on both Android and iOS. [caption id=“attachment_4046641” align=“aligncenter” width=“825”] Snapchat adds Bitmoji.[/caption] Snapchat had **purchased** a Toronto-based startup called Bitstrips, the company behind the Bitmoji app, back in March for $100 mn. Bitmoji, which was launched in September 2014, became famous thanks to the feature which lets you create an online caricature or avatar which can then be integrated with various emojis to show a range of emotions.