Augmented Reality And The Future Of Selfies

Feeling unique among the seven billion people on Earth and the 93 million selfies they generate a day can be tough. One selfie may seem like just a drop in an ocean-sized bucket, but augmented reality is already on the move to change that. What’s more, the same Augmented Reality technology behind the Snapchat dog filter is also pushing into the world of cybersecurity, banking, and beyond.

Selfies Were First Popularized With The Forward-Facing Camera

In the reality where every millennial is expected to snap over 25,000 selfies in a lifetime, relying on the front-facing camera has never been more important. In 2003, years before the first iPhone would be introduced, Sony released a phone with the first front-facing camera ever. The Ericsson Z1010 was meant for business professionals on the go, one of the largest demographics of cell phone users at the time. Today however nearly everyone has a smart phone in their pocket and you can bet they’re all taking advantage of the front-facing camera.

Selfies Are Incredibly Common

Long gone are the days of selfies being considered vapid; by 2015 95% of millennials had taken at least one selfie and on average post nine selfies a week to social media. For the most part, selfies are no longer considered an annoyance on social media timelines and largely encouraged; who doesn’t love to see a friend feeling happy and confident enough to post a self-portrait? Regarded as an excellent way to showcase one’s personality, interests, and style, selfies stand today as one of the most sincere expressions of self.

In 2015, Snapchat rolled out the red carpet for their debut selfie filter: rainbow barfing. Using built-in facial mapping technology identified key features on a user’s face, such as the mouth and nose, offering a uniquely personalized real-time filter that fit each user like a glove. Accounting for facial movement, more than one face in the frame, and even working on some lucky pets’ faces, the response was explosive. More iconic filters were soon to come from the dog filter to the flower crown, Snapchat gave its users this interactive feature to bump their selfies up to the next level. Only 4% of posts on Instagram are solo selfies, and yet nearly one in three users of Snapchat use it primarily to send selfies.

Selfies Are Taking On A New Life

Facial tracking technology in smartphones extends further than just silly selfies. In fact, the future of our security may depend on it. Rolled out with the latest Apple release of the anticipated iPhone X was Face ID. Using similar digital mapping on a user’s face, a password or PIN is no longer required to unlock the phone; all it takes is a look. More than one in three European consumers express they would feel more secure using selfies as identification when accessing their banking accounts, instead of standard passwords.

In 2018, the most secure password is one we don’t even have to type in. From entertainment to selfies, to mobile security, and beyond, augmented reality is changing the way we interact with the world around us. Take a look at this infographic for more on how AR is influencing selfies and what it means for future technology and security.