Tired of the same Snapchat lenses? Lens Explorer simplifies finding new lenses

By Hillary K. Grigonis Published July 10, 2018

Snapchat

Thanks to Lens Studio, Snapchat now has more than 100,000 different lenses. Thanks to Lens Explorer, you will soon be able to use them. On Tuesday, July 10, Snapchat announced Lens Explorer, a new home for user-made lenses that allows users to find new lenses to add to the Lens carousel.

Lens Studio isn’t quite a year old yet, but the platform allows designers to make their own Snapchat Lens, then share the lens with a Snapcode. With the Lens Explore, those lenses will be available without scanning a code. The section will first be organized with public Stories for Lens inspiration. The next part of the new Lens Explore allows users to browse through different community lenses, while the new tool also has a search bar at the top.

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With easy access to thousands of lenses, Lens Explorer will likely help make your Snapchats look less like everyone else’s by expanding beyond the tried-and-true puppy dog face and glasses. Snapchat doesn’t say how many lenses are inside the new Explorer, but Lens Studio has resulted in more than 100,000 lenses and the Explorer will contain the lenses that are marked as Community Lenses for sharing.

Snapchat hasn’t said exactly when Lens Explorer will roll out, but the company says the feature is headed to iOS users first.

How to download new Snapchat lenses

Once the feature is live, downloading a new Snapchat lens will be easier than scanning a physical snap code. After updating the app once the feature is out, opening the lens carousel from the Snapchat camera will also bring up a new icon at the upper right of the screen. Tapping that smiley face icon will open the Lens Explorer.

Once inside the Lens Explorer, accessing a new lens is easy. Tap on a lens you like, then Snapchat will take you right back to the camera, with that new Lens ready. Or, if you see a Lens you like inside the Community Lens Stories section, swipe up on the photo or video using that lens to add the Lens to your own carousel.

Snapchat users will have to wait for the update to roll out live, but once the app updates, the tool will likely make finding the right lens for the snap simpler.

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Hillary K. Grigonis

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Hillary never planned on becoming a photographer—and then she was handed a camera at her first writing job and she's been…

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