Snapchat has announced new initiatives to support its global community of over 375,000 augmented reality (AR) creators and developers. The updates include a new monetization feature called Challenge Tags, as well as educational pricing and a student discount for Spectacles, Snap’s AR-enabled smart glasses.

The most significant update is the launch of Challenge Tags, a feature designed to reward AR developers for their creativity. Developers can now win cash prizes by submitting Lenses using active Challenge Tags. Entries are evaluated on originality, technical excellence, and alignment with the given theme.

Snapchat has partnered with Lenslist, an AR marketing platform, to facilitate global participation from developers in over 100 countries. Whether developers are new to Snap AR or seasoned creators, the process is straightforward:

Register for the challenge.
Use Snap’s AR authoring tool, Lens Studio, to build a Lens.
Apply the relevant Challenge Tag during the publishing process.

Challenges will be announced monthly, each featuring a unique theme and prize pool.

The inaugural Challenge Tag theme is humor, offering a $10,000 prize pool. Winners will be announced on February 14, with prizes allocated as follows:

First place: $2,500
Second place: $1,500
Third place: $1,000
Twenty honorable mentions: $250 each

The challenge is open through January 31, giving developers a chance to showcase their skills and win recognition for their creative work.

This article, “Snapchat Expands Opportunities for AR Creators with Challenge Tags and Discounts” was first published on Small Business Trends