Microsoft has added Snapchat Lenses to Teams to allow meeting participants to express themselves creatively mid-call.

Microsoft has partnered with Snap to leverage their Camera Kit SDK capabilities, allowing Microsoft to integrate 26 Snapchat AR Lenses into Teams without requiring a separate add-on. The function can be accessed via the “Video effects” section of the app, then by clicking “Snapchat”.

Nicole Herskowitz, Vice President of Microsoft Teams, said:

“With the rise of hybrid and flexible work, our customers need tools that help build connections and foster a productive and enjoyable work environment. 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.”

The Lenses available to use during video calls now include virtual sunglasses being wrapped around your head, being turned into a cartoon character, and having a sloth draped around your shoulders, representing more dynamic options than the simple virtual backgrounds that grew in popularity during the pandemic. Snap said that the Lenses enable opportunities for fun and personality to vitalise meetings.

“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,” Herskowitz added.

The Snapchat Lenses have currently only been integrated into Teams for Work and aren’t available for personal or education versions. It is also only available for the current version of Teams and not the “New Teams” iteration that Microsoft made available for preview in March.

Snap Software has Been Used Before in Microsoft Clients.

Snap had shut down their Camera app only a few months prior to this Teams announcement, which had launched in 2018 originally for the use of Twitch streamers. However, during the pandemic, Snap’s Camera became popular for applying filters over Teams and Zoom calls, with a visual effect similar to the Lenses now leveraged into Teams. However, it was not an official partnership between Snap and Microsoft.

This is also the second occasion when Microsoft has leveraged Snap’s Camera Kit to add Lenses to one of their platforms. They integrated Snap AR into Microsoft Flip, their video learning client, in which educators could publish prompts to facilitate discussion among students. Since shutting down its Camera app, Snap also plan to partner with other organisations to integrate its Camera Kit.

A Busy 2023 for Teams

As well as launching more AI-powered functionality for Teams Premium and providing guidance on optimising audio and video performance over Teams, Microsoft also introduced virtual filters for Teams meetings. This dynamic background functionality enables users to enhance their video with various effects, including adding animated frames and altering the hue of the video.  This raft of new tools complements the addition of Snapchat Lenses and the existing features that allow users to blur backgrounds and soften parts of the video.

Microsoft also plans to add digital “avatars” to Teams in May, where users can overlay a digital character over their video feed. Their roadmap entry for the feature reads: “You can add a new layer of choice to your meetings and represent yourself the way you want with customisable avatars and reactions.”

 

 



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