Microsoft Teams now has Snapchat’s Lenses for video calls
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| Image Credits: Techcrunch.com |
Tired of using virtual backgrounds to spice up your Microsoft Teams calls? Well, you now have a new way to express yourself during meetings. Microsoft and Snap have today announced the integration of Snapchat Lenses for Teams to bring a bit of fun to virtual meetings.
As part of the integration, Teams users will have access to a collection of 26 popular lenses during meetings. With the help of lenses, you can, for example, turn yourself into a cartoon character or add a funny background to your video. According to Snap, the new integration aims to make meetings more fun and engaging. You don't need to download anything to access the lenses by clicking on "Video Effects" and selecting the "Snapchat" tab.
“With the rise of hybrid and flexible work, our customers need tools that help build connections and foster a productive and enjoyable work environment,” said Microsoft Teams Vice President Nicole Herskowitz in an emailed statement. “That’s why we are excited to bring Snapchat’s most popular Lenses natively into Microsoft Teams meetings, making it easy for users to add even more personality and fun to video calls. With Snapchat Lenses for Teams, we are offering customers a new way to express themselves and engage with co-workers in a dynamic and entertaining manner.”
Snap says the integration is made possible by Camera Kit, Snap’s SDK that allows partners to leverage Snap’s AR technology in their own applications and websites.
It’s worth noting that this is Microsoft’s second integration with Camera Kit. The company has also used Camera Kit to bring Snap AR into Flip, Microsoft’s video learning platform where educators can post topic prompts to spark video discussions among students. Since adding Snap AR to the Flip web experience, the company has seen a 60% increase in students and teachers creating videos.
Today's announcement comes months after the shut down Snap's desktop camera app, which allowed users to apply filters to their video calls. At the time, Snap said it was focused on expanding access to camera kits for the internet. The company first introduced Snap Camera in 2018 to give developers a way to enhance their Twitch streams, but the camera app has been around since the 2020 pandemic, when people were using video conferencing like Microsoft Teams, Skype, YouTube, and Google exists. It became popular when we started using it in applications. Hangouts, Skype, Zoom. The app was available for both Windows and Mac and allowed users to switch between different face filters during video calls and live streams.
Snap says it’s continuing to work closely with new partners to integrate Camera Kit, which means we will likely see Snapchat Lenses pop up in more popular apps and platform in the future.