TikTok began introducing AR branded effects last year, offering users a variety of interactive and non-interactive experiences to enjoy.

TikTok Effects Studio Continues Experimenting with Promising AR

Do you TikTok? Or are you a  user of Lens Studio or Snapchat? Well, the news this week concerning the two competing platforms is that Tik Tok will soon offer similar AR effects as Instagram and Lens Studio. Here is the full story from Kyle Melnick written for vrscout.com.  

Most of us have seen how this platform has taken over the internet in the past couple of years. TikTok is a worldwide phenomenon that had the Trump Administration so scared they began threatening to ban it in America for fear it was a  Chinese spying tool.

“As far as TikTok is concerned, we’re banning them from the United States,” Trump said in August of 2020. The same month, he said TikTok “can’t be controlled, for security reasons, by China. Too big. Too invasive.”

Like much of what occurred in the Trump years in foreign policy, there was a lot of bark and no bite in his warning. Tik Tok is still very big in the U.S. In fact, TikTok took down Trump speeches and untrue remarks about the past presidential election.

The new addition to TikTok will allow users to add AR effects to short videos. It will be the rage soon if it already isn’t now in Tik Tok’s development office.

While I am not a TikTok user, I do appreciate the fact there are all ages of people shooting videos that are being produced and shared online. This AR effect will be a game-changer. Augmented Reality has become much more inclusive to smartphone users in the last decade. Features like signs or special effects that algorithms add for fun and for information are allowed to be filled with hate speech of violence.

Those interested in participating in the private beta can log in to their account and sign up for early access at effecthouse.tiktok.com. Developers are required to provide their full name, email, and TikTok username. They’ll also need to answer several questions regarding their platform of choice and experience with AR technology.

Augmented Reality Feature Could Be Another Win For TikTok

According to a report by Techcrunch, the website—first discovered by social media consultant Matt Navarra thanks to a tip from Sam Schmir—went live only just this month. While speaking with the publication, TikTok clarified that Effect House was still in the early stages of development, going so far as to call it an “experiment.”

So however cool it may look, it is still in the “maybe” basket at this stage.

“We’re always thinking about new ways to bring value to our community and enrich the TikTok experience,” said a TikTok spokesperson while speaking to Techcrunch. “Currently, we’re experimenting with ways to give creators additional tools to bring their creative ideas to life for the TikTok community.”

Similar to Lens Studio, Snapchat’s own AR development platform, TikTok Effect Studio is available as a desktop app on Windows PC and Mac. According to the company, the toolkit should not be used in conjunction with third-party apps. So there is still a lot to sort through with Tik Tok Effects Studio. But it won’t be long before it is catching your eye while scrolling through Facebook.

read more at vrscout.com