Snapchat Release Notes

Introducing SPECS Augmented Reality Glasses

We built SPECS to bring AI assistance, work tools, entertainment, and shared experiences into the world around us, helping people create, connect, learn, and get things done while staying present.

Today at Augmented World Expo 2026, we introduced SPECS, our new augmented reality glasses.

When we started Snap, we believed technology could help people connect more deeply with one another. Over time, that belief led us to augmented reality. For more than a decade, we've been building toward a future where computers can understand the world the way we do, not just through text and taps, but through sight, sound, movement, and context.

Computers have become smaller, more powerful, and more personal. They went from filling entire rooms to fitting in our pockets. But as computers became more capable, they also demanded more of our attention. Too often, we find ourselves looking down at a screen instead of looking at the people we're with, the places we're exploring, or the things we're trying to learn.

We think technology can do better. We believe the best technology fades into the background, helping when it's needed and getting out of the way when it's not. That's why we built SPECS.

SPECS bring computing into the world around us. Instead of pulling us away from the moment, they make it possible to access information, entertainment, and assistance while staying engaged with the people and places around us. We believe augmented reality is the most natural way to use a computer because it aligns with how people already experience the world: visually, socially, and in three dimensions.

Built for everyday life

Building a computer that fits into a pair of glasses is incredibly difficult. From the beginning, our goal was simple: build something powerful enough for augmented reality and light enough to be worn for hours.

Today's devices often require a tradeoff. AI glasses are lightweight but limited in what they can do, while headsets are powerful but can feel isolating and cumbersome. We wanted to build something different.

SPECS are fully standalone, with no puck and no tether. They're made from high-performance Swiss TR90 polymer and come in two sizes, with the 47 mm model weighing just 132 grams and the 52 mm model weighing 136 grams. Removable inserts support a wide range of prescriptions.

The display system is powered by our proprietary liquid crystal on silicon technology, delivering a 51-degree field of view and 16 million colors. The result is a large, vivid display that feels like a 24-inch desktop monitor when you're working, or a 115-inch home cinema screen placed about 10 feet away when you're watching a movie.

We also redesigned our waveguide technology to create a clearer and more seamless view of the world around you. Our new waveguide uses billions of invisibly small nanostructures, so small that more than 10,000 can fit on the tip of a single hair. SPECS use the same advanced technology found in Boeing 787 Dreamliner windows, so the electrochromic lenses gently shift from clear to tinted in just 10 seconds.

Every design decision came back to the same idea: technology should feel natural. SPECS aren't designed to replace the world. They're designed to help us engage with it.

Useful in the moment

The promise of augmented reality isn't putting screens everywhere. It's making computing useful in the moment.

Imagine walking through a city and seeing directions exactly where you need them, measuring a space without pulling out a tape measure, or getting help from AI while you're working on a project instead of stopping to search for an answer. That's what makes augmented reality different.

SPECS can also transform almost any place into a workspace. You can cast a screen, stream content, open a whiteboard, or collaborate with others while remaining aware of the people and environment around you. And because augmented reality is inherently social, SPECS make entirely new kinds of shared experiences possible.

Developers have already built hundreds of Lenses for SPECS, unlocking shared experiences that screens cannot, from reading the green, to overlaying interactive lessons onto your drum set with Drum Kit, to education tools like Vector Fields that make invisible forces visible.

When people first hear about augmented reality, they often imagine existing software floating in front of their face. We think the opportunity is much bigger than that. Some experiences will help people learn, some will help people work, some will help people create, and some will simply be fun. Many of them haven't been imagined yet.

Built to understand the world

For augmented reality to feel natural, digital experiences need to understand the physical world around us. That's why SPECS are powered by two Snapdragon processors. One is dedicated to computer vision and the other is dedicated to running Lenses.

Together, they enable fast hand tracking, low latency, and responsive interactions that help digital content feel anchored in the real world. SPECS deliver 7-millisecond motion-to-photon latency, verified through advanced robotic measurement systems.

SPECS offer up to four hours of mixed-use battery life, including audio and video playback, Lenses, AI assistance, Bluetooth notifications, and more. The included charging case provides four additional charges on the go for up to 20 total hours of mixed use.

We've spent more than a decade building toward this moment. Along the way, we've invested across the entire augmented reality stack—from developer tools and our operating system to displays, optics, computer vision, and hardware. We've also filed more than 7,000 patents throughout SPECS development as part of that work.

Building a new kind of computer takes patience, but hardware is only the beginning.

A platform for developers

Every important computing platform has been defined by what people built with it. The PC became meaningful because developers built software. The web became meaningful because developers built websites. Smartphones became meaningful because developers built apps. We believe augmented reality will be no different.

Over the past year and a half, we've shipped 10 Snap OS updates with more than 40 new features and APIs. Developers have already published hundreds of Lenses for SPECS, and today we're introducing even more tools to help them build.

We’re introducing agentic development for building SPECS Lenses in Lens Studio through a developer preview rolling out in Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor. We're also introducing the SPECS Spatial Benchmark, the Migration Agent, and a new Native Development Kit that allows developers to bring their own code and libraries into Lens Studio.

We're excited to see what developers create next, especially as AI opens up entirely new possibilities for augmented reality.

AI that can see what you see

AI becomes more useful when it understands context. With SPECS, AI isn't limited to a text box. It can see what you see, understand what you're trying to accomplish, and help in the moment.

That means guidance can appear exactly where it's needed, information can be connected to the objects and places around you, and developers can build experiences that respond intelligently to the real world in real time.

We believe AI and augmented reality are a natural fit because both help people better understand and interact with the world around them. Of course, technology like this only works when people trust it.

Privacy from the beginning

Privacy has been a core design principle at Snap from the very beginning.

SPECS are designed to be transparent about how they work. They ask clearly before accessing sensitive information, and an LED indicator lights up when recording is taking place. SPECS prioritize on-device processing, and give people control over what gets stored, synced, shared, or deleted.

People should understand what information is being used and remain in control of their experience. Trust isn't something that can be added later—it has to be built in from the start.

Creativity inspires technology

One of the things we've learned over the years is that technology becomes meaningful when creative people use it in unexpected ways.

That's why we're launching a global SPECS campaign photographed by Steven Meisel and featuring Jimmy Butler, Imogen Heap, Hoyeon, Jack Harlow, and Kaia Gerber. Each Visionary has been working with Snap to imagine new SPECS experiences that will debut this fall, supporting creativity, expression, presence, and play.

We're excited to share more later this year.

Pre-order SPECS today

Today, SPECS are available for pre-order at SPECS.COM for $2,195, with a $200 refundable deposit.

SPECS are expected to ship this fall in the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.

We've spent years imagining what computing could look like if it worked more naturally with the way people experience the world. Today is an important step toward that future.

We believe the best technology doesn't pull us away from life. It helps us live it.

Snap Launches New Tools for SPECS Developers

Whether you’re starting from scratch or bringing work you’ve already built, new Lens Studio tools make it easier to create for SPECS

Today at AWE, we unveiled SPECS: a new kind of computer designed for real life, built into see-through glasses. SPECS are built from the ground up for augmented reality, so computing can move out of your pocket and into the world around you where life actually happens.

That shift creates a huge opportunity for developers. Instead of adapting phone apps to a new screen, developers can build experiences that understand the space around you, respond in the moment, and feel useful, shared, playful, and full of wonder.

And we want to make it easier than ever to build them.

Lens Studio started as a tool for making Snapchat Lenses. Today, it’s a powerful developer environment for real-world, immersive, and connected AR experiences. Over the past year and a half, we’ve shipped 10 Snap OS updates with more than 40 new features and APIs, and developers have already published hundreds of Lenses for SPECS.

Now, we’re introducing new tools and programs to help developers move faster — whether they’re exploring an idea, testing on device, bringing over existing work, or building a business.

A new agentic development framework

First, we’re rolling out the developer preview of agentic development for building SPECS Lenses in Lens Studio.

This brings Lens Studio agents and skills into the AI tools developers already use, including Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor. It can help with the repetitive but important parts of building: exploring ideas, prototyping, testing, debugging, optimizing, publishing, and improving experiences after they ship.

Developers stay in control by reviewing suggestions, steering the creative direction, and making final decisions.

A new benchmark for spatial AI

We’re also releasing the SPECS Spatial Benchmark to help developers understand how AI models perform on real-world spatial tasks — like reasoning about layouts, coordinates, object relationships, and how digital content should respond to the physical world.

Bringing existing work to SPECS

For teams with existing projects, we’re introducing new ways to bring that work to SPECS. Our Migration Agent helps port projects from tools like Unity into Lens Studio by translating project structures, visual components, and scene configurations into native Lens Studio structures.

And our new Native Development Kit lets developers bring C and C++ code directly into Lenses, so teams can reuse performance-critical work across areas like spatial mapping, physics, audio, networking, and navigation.

Partners are already putting these tools to work. Niantic Spatial is bringing their VPS to SPECS through the NDK, powering immersive real-world experiences. And Mapbox ported its Navigation Engine in less than two hours.

At launch, Commerce Kit will begin powering in-Lens purchases and subscriptions, so developers can build real businesses.

Join the SPECS Developer Program

Developers can join the SPECS Developer Program and start building with the new Lens Studio agents and skills today. Developers can also apply to test their best Lens prototypes on SPECS at Snap studios around the world, giving developers a chance to see how their ideas perform on hardware, refine their experiences, and prepare for this next generation of computing.

We can’t wait to see what you create!

Introducing Place Loyalty on Snap Map

Celebrate the places you love most – and see how your visits stack up

We all have them: The coffee shop that knows your order, the go-to restaurant you always suggest, the airport you practically live in. The places we visit most become part of our routines and part of who we are. Now, Snap Map reflects that. Today, we’re launching Place Loyalty, a new way to celebrate the spots you visit most often for our global community.

Place Loyalty highlights when you’re among the most frequent visitors to a place on Snap Map over the past year. Loyalty is determined by visits, and if you’re in the top 25% of Snapchatters who visit that place, you’ll see your ranking:

• 🥇Gold – Top 1%
• 🥈Silver – Top 10%
• 🥉Bronze – Top 25%

Are you a Gold-tier regular at your local café? A Silver-level airport pro? Now you’ll know.

As you explore your Snap Map, you may spot a "Top Visitor" badge directly on a location. Tap on the badge to see your loyalty brought to life, complete with category callouts and a shareable sticker showcasing your status. And for brands and chains, we aggregate your visits across all locations, so all of your visits to your favorite spots really count.

Snap Map has grown into one of the most used maps on mobile, with more than 435 million monthly active users connecting with friends and exploring what’s happening around them. From checking where friends are hanging out to discovering popular local spots, Snap Map plays a meaningful role in how our community experiences the world together — making features like Place Loyalty a natural extension of how people already use the map every day.

Your location on Snap Map is off by default and only shared with the friends you choose to share it with. Place Loyalty rankings are visible only to you, and your precise location is never shared with advertisers. You’re always in control — whether that means selecting specific friends, enabling Ghost Mode, or turning off location sharing altogether.

At Snapchat, we know that the best places aren’t just the ones we love — they’re the ones we go to with friends. To celebrate the launch, we’re also sharing the top local hotspots in New York and Los Angeles that are most popular for Snapchatters to visit with a friend:

Happy Snapping!

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