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Snapchat Filters: Not Just for Faces

Instead of changing up your mug, World Lenses let you alter the scenery around you.

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

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Heads up, Snapchatters: The self-destructing message app just rolled out an update that lets you rewind Stories and tap into a new feature called World Lenses.

World Lenses are similar to the familiar Selfie Lenses you already know and love that let you add things like butterfly and flower crowns or dog ears to your face. But instead of changing up your mug, World Lenses let you alter the scenery around you.

As TechCrunch reports, just point your phone at the sky, and your phone's rear-facing camera can give the clouds eyes and a mouth that pukes rainbows, for instance.

Meanwhile, the next time Kylie Jenner posts something you absolutely must watch again, just tap on the left side of the screen to rewind a snap to the beginning. The feature is a rip-off of the same feature in Instagram Stories, but given that Instagram stole the concept of Stories from Snapchat, it seems fair, right?

You can also now press and hold a Snap to send it to a friend.

That's all for this update, but Snapchat has even more goodies coming. The company is gearing up to launch its first hardware product, a pair of smart glasses that record 10-second bursts of video with just a tap, much like the company's ephemeral app. The Spectacles arrive this fall in black, teal, or coral for $130. They'll sync with your device so you can share moments quickly on Snapchat.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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