2025 marks ten years since Snap Inc. introduced its Lenses, a feature that has grown into a global ecosystem for augmented reality (AR) developers. Over the past decade, more than 400,000 developers have created over 4 million Lenses, helping shape Snap into a major platform for creative digital expression.
Snap Inc. announced several updates aimed at supporting its developer community. The company is focusing on making Snap the most developer-friendly platform, helping creators turn their projects into businesses, and providing advanced tools for AR development.
One of the major updates includes enhancements to social gaming on Snapchat. According to the company, over 175 million people play Lens Games on Snapchat each month, and sharing activity has increased by 130% since last year. Snap is integrating Lens Games directly into Chat through a new Games Chat Drawer, bringing games closer to users’ conversations. The Asset Library’s Games category has also been expanded with new components to improve workflow. Additional features include Turn Based gameplay, improved Leaderboards, and plans to introduce live multiplayer matchmaking in the coming year.
Snap is also upgrading Lens Studio, its tool for AR creation. New capabilities allow developers to build higher-fidelity and more personalized Lenses. Monetization options are being expanded as well. After piloting Lens Creator Rewards, Snap is rolling out Lens+ Payouts, which let creators earn money based on engagement from Lens+ and Snapchat Platinum subscribers. Camera Kit, which extends Snap’s AR technology to external platforms, now allows developers to use it without mandatory branding.
The company introduced Lens Studio AI, a tool designed to simplify the process of building Lenses. By describing their vision, developers can use AI assistance for coding, debugging, and asset suggestions. A new framework called Blocks lets users build modular, AR-ready components. These Blocks can be private or shared with the community. Snap is also updating Lens Studio Mobile & Web to leverage Blocks and include an AI-powered chat-based creation tool.
Snap provided updates on its Spectacles hardware. Last year, Snap introduced its fifth-generation Spectacles with real-time AI-powered experiences. As the public launch approaches in 2026, Snap is releasing Snap OS 2.0, which includes faster performance, a native browser with WebXR support, and new development kits. All content created for current Spectacles will be compatible with the upcoming Specs.
New features include Travel Mode for uninterrupted AR experiences while traveling and EyeConnect for instant setup of shared Lenses. Developers can now use Commerce Kit to accept payments directly inside Lenses, enabling monetization on Spectacles for digital goods and premium features.
Snap also announced partnerships that bring new experiences to Spectacles, such as Star Wars: Holocron Histories from Industrial Light & Magic, Synth Riders, and Avatar: The Last Airbender from Paramount. Additional collaborations with Figma, Tripadvisor, and Mastercard are expected in the future.
To support these developments, Snap introduced Snap Cloud, developed with Supabase. Snap Cloud offers developers APIs, edge functions, secure storage, and real-time capabilities to help build more dynamic and privacy-focused projects. The company states this represents a long-term commitment to providing infrastructure for global AR innovation.
“Since the very first Lens, our vision has been simple: to build technology that brings people closer together by helping them express themselves and connect with friends,” said Snap Inc.
“Our goal is to be the most developer friendly platform in the world, and our commitment has never been stronger,” Snap Inc. stated.
“Whether you create games, AI experiences, or effects, you can now build a portfolio of monetized Lenses,” according to Snap Inc.
“Everything you’re building today for the current version of Spectacles will be compatible with the new Specs, ensuring your work is future-proof from day one,” said Snap Inc.
“This makes it easy to offload heavy assets and build richer, more dynamic, and privacy-safe projects. From full-length games to immersive, location-based experiences, Snap Cloud represents our long-term commitment to giving you the infrastructure to build world-changing Lenses,” Snap Inc. said.
