By: Viraj Shah

When you think of augmented reality (AR), you might first think of video games or theme park rides. AR can be used for fun, but there are various reasons people have enjoyed using apps that integrate AR. Below, we’ll go over five of them.

Practical Uses

Sometimes,  integrating AR into an app is just plain practical. For example, some furniture stores have invested in digitizing their stock and passing it through their app. By using smartphones’ ability to measure distances through their cameras, consumers can then test a piece of furniture within their own space. That way, they don’t have to buy a heavy piece of furniture, potentially assemble it at home, and then find out it doesn’t work for the room available.

Other industries are beginning to adopt AR technology, too. Some beauty brands allow you to test color cosmetics with AR functions in their apps, with AR helping process skin tone and face shape for the finest result. Some luxury designers and clothing brands also have try-on functions, which consumers may appreciate for assisting them in deciding on an item.

Ease of Information

On a similar note, AR apps offer various ways to present information, potentially enhancing user experience by providing instructions in different formats. For instance, in the case of assembling furniture, some AR apps supplement traditional physical instructions with video guides, while others may present the entire instruction set virtually. This method allows users to follow the steps in real-time as they build, which can simplify the assembly process.

Novel Experiences

Games aren’t always just diversions for children. Some games use AR, for example, to craft a horror story tailored to your specific home, which can heighten the terror. That’s exactly what horror fans often want, but the ability to customize the scares makes for an experience you can’t have anywhere else.

Other apps can also provide unique experiences. Games that feature collectible creatures (there are multiple!) sometimes allow you to use AR with your camera to place your favorite creature beside you, making for fun or strange photos. Some games even work entirely through AR, making them different from other ones out there.

Fun Pastimes

Chances are that you’ve interacted with social media before. Even if not, maybe you’ve played around with apps that let you add effects to your photos. Either way, AR is involved; that’s how you can test out custom filters that turn your tongue rainbow, show you your animated self, or even just smooth out your face. Trying out new filters on popular services has become a pastime in and of itself.

Enriched Surroundings

AR can enrich the world around you. Sometimes that’s through games, like we mentioned above. Other times, though, you can get more information about your surroundings. AR can help you identify wildlife, for instance, or let you know if a plant is safe to eat. Some companies even use it to bring wine labels to life with historical facts or to augment narratives within art installations.

AR can do much more than we’ve discussed, but these are some of the things that consumers have enjoyed about augmented reality apps. If you run a business, it may be worth looking into a custom AR app—with a myriad of use cases, you could create something truly special.

Published by: Holy Minoza