It’s not just Apple that’s excited about the possibilities of augmented reality! In its latest Snapchat-inspired update, Facebook has added new AR features to its Messenger app.

Called “World Effects,” the feature lets you place emoji-style 3D objects in three-dimensional space via your iPhone’s rear camera. Objects added include a heart, an arrow, and a robot — along with word bubbles with messages like “love,” “heart,” “miss you,” and — making us feel old — ““bae.”

“Messaging is more visual than ever, and features like photos, videos, emojis, stickers and GIFs make Messenger the best place for expressing yourself however you want,” Facebook explains. “And with recent improvements – like the ability to send high resolution photos in Messenger – awesome visual messaging has a home in Messenger.”

To add a World Effects feature, open the Messenger app and access it camera feature. Along the bottom part of the screen is a carousel of effects for you to scroll through. Tap the one that you want, and then tap the part of the image you want it to appear next to. After that, you can move your iPhone or iPad, but the object will remain fixed in the place you dropped it.

“We hope you enjoy using these early versions of World Effects in Messenger to bring joy and delight to your communications, especially during this holiday time of year as we re-connect with friends and family and maybe even make new connections,” Facebook notes.

You can download the Messenger app for free from the App Store.

Source: Facebook