Instagram Augmented Reality At Checkout Is Here

Instagram users can now use augmented reality to try out products when shopping through the app.

Earlier this month, Instagram rolled out a product page feature for select brands who sell directly on the app. Cosmetics companies NARS and MAC, now have an augmented reality ‘Try It On’ option available at checkout, allowing customers to use their phone’s camera to experiment with makeup in real time, while fans of eyewear brand, Ray-Ban can try-on shades before purchasing.

Instagram is hoping users will then share these AR experiences in Stories, with a link back to the product.

“You can share it through Stories with friends, brands can create Stories — that’s definitely one of the primary ways in which we think that people will shop.”

– Srilatha Raghavan, product manager for AR commerce at Facebook.

According to 99 Firms, 1 in 4 Millennials and Gen Z-ers look for Stories of the products and services they want to buy, while 15%–25% of people swipe up on a link in branded Stories.

Instagram’s in-app checkout feature has been available since March, with the latest update another step towards eCommerce. These advanced ad options are essentially an extension of Facebook’s version launched last year.

Though only a limited number of brands are able to use the shopping (and VR) feature through Instagram, the technology certainly isn’t new.