12 augmented reality apps for Android worth checking out

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

These apps come in handy if you want to learn about all the delights of popular technology, but the new iPhone has not reached you yet.

Augmented reality (AR) is one of the most promising mobile technologies. Google and Apple have big plans for it, and you probably already use it without knowing it. For example, masks on Instagram work on the basis of augmented reality, as well as the game Pokémon Go, the main feature of which is AR support.

But besides the applications that everyone knows, there are others that also deserve attention.

1. Star Walk 2

The application allows you to direct your phone camera to the sky and see real planets, stars and constellations on the screen. The Pocket Planetarium will become an indispensable item for teachers, novice astronomers and all those who are interested in what a luminous point in the sky really is - a star, Mars or the International Space Station.

2. Google Translate

One of the best mobile travel apps. Among all its features, one deserves special attention: you can point your camera at a road sign, a menu in a cafe or some other text and get a translation right away. The function works in 38 languages. With this, you can download language packs to use the application without access to the web.

3. SketchAR

If you have long wanted to learn how to draw, but numerous tutorials do not help, give SketchAR a try. The app uses augmented reality as a mentor.

Take a blank sheet of paper, select a picture or upload your own, and the program will project a virtual copy of the image onto the paper. All that remains is to circle what you see on the smartphone screen.

4. Wikitude

One of the oldest AR apps. You can swing the camera from side to side and see where and how far away from you coffee shops, hotels and attractions. Wikitude pulls data from services like Wikipedia and Trip Advisor.

Nobody bothers to use regular text search - this is how Wikitude turns into a convenient travel application.

5. Gorillaz

It is hardly surprising that the virtual group has its own augmented reality application. The program acts as a source of exclusive content. You can wander around and outside your home and find various items from Gorillaz clips. When you click on such an item, you find yourself in a room with additional materials.

These materials may require different applications. For example, you might find a song you want to listen to on Spotify. And to interact with other things, some kind of virtual reality helmet is useful.

6. Inkhunter

If you are planning to get a tattoo, then Inkhunter will allow you to try it on any part of the body, so that you will not regret it later. You can move your phone freely and look at the tattoo from any angle. The base of images is constantly updated with works of professional artists. The result can be saved and sent to your master.

7. Ghost Snap AR Horror Survival

A short but fun horror game recommended to be played with headphones and lights off. The application illuminates the premises using the flash of the smartphone and makes the image on the screen green. It feels like you are wandering in the dark with the camera set to night mode, like in Outlast. The player's task is to look for graffiti on the walls and take pictures of them.

8. Lumyer

The app uses roughly the same technology as Snapchat and Instagram. In Lumyer, however, filters are not applied to selfies in real time. First you take a photo, then add animated effects and save the image as a GIF.

You can also work with videos in the program. In this case, filters are applied on the fly.

9. Holo

Application for lovers of cool selfies. With Holo, you can add a variety of animated characters to the frame and shoot creative scenes with their participation. Available holograms include Spider-Man, zombies, wild animals, and more.

Holo - Holograms for Videos in Augmented Reality 8i LTD

ten. IKEA catalog

The application allows you to see how a particular piece of furniture will look like in your home. You can put an armchair in the corner of the living room or place a lamp on the table. The catalog includes over 300 items.

11. WallaMe

The program tries to prepare you for a future in which social media has become a part of every aspect of life. WallaMe allows you to turn the whole world into one huge canvas and leave secret messages on it.

Point your smartphone camera at the wall of a building and draw something. A casual passer-by will never know about your message, but those with whom you share it or who are nearby will be able to see it.

12. Ingress

A game from Niantic Labs, the developers of Pokémon Go. It is on the basis of Ingress technology that the popular mobile project about Pokémon works.

Ingress is set in a complex sci-fi world. You must choose one of the sides fighting with each other, look for sources of mysterious energy and capture territories. The game takes place on the real planet Earth.

Ingress Prime Niantic, Inc.