Snap unveiled version 2.0 of its Snap OS operating system to power its augmented reality glasses Spectacles.
A year ago, Snap released to developers the fifth-generation of the Spectacles and its brand new operating system, Snap OS. The new version will debut in 2026.
I was able to try out the latest 2.0 software on the Spectacles at Snap’s office in San Francisco. They fitted the glasses with the right lenses for my eyesight. These Spectacles are Snap’s vision for the future of computing — with AI built into them as well as internet connectivity. That means you don’t have to rely on your smartphone to get you a bunch of answers.
The new OS enables more versatility in the ways that you can use basic augmented reality applications.
Snap OS is the software that brings Spectacles to life, enabling a new kind of computer: real-time AI-powered experiences that invite people to interact naturally with the world using their hands and voice.
As the company looks forward to the public launch of Specs in 2026, it is now introducing Snap OS 2.0, which both offers the community a new interface and makes possible Lenses that will bring utilities, like enjoying content, browsing, and staying in touch – to Spectacles.
The fourth generation introduced AR capabilities, while the first three were camera focused. The fifth generation has introduced AI assistant functions. The 2.0 software is aimed at enabling developers to create Lenses — what Snap calls its apps — with AI built into the application.
Developers can now build Lenses that incorporate AI programs Gemini from Google and ChatGPT from OpenAI into the experience. So when you’re looking at the world, AI can teach you about it in real time.
The device has no battery pack or a puck attachment to do the computing. It’s in the hands of developers today.
Meet the new browser
Snap overhauled the Spectacles Browser to make it faster, more powerful, and easier to use. With a new minimalist design that feels right at home in Snap OS, the company optimized page loading speed and power usage so you can navigate quickly and easily.
The team also introduced a new home screen with widgets and bookmarks, so your favorite sites are just a pinch away. The updated toolbar gives you more control, letting you type or speak a website URL, navigate history, and refresh the page with ease. Plus, you can resize windows to your preferred aspect ratio, just like you would on your laptop, keeping you in charge of the look and feel of your workspace.
Browser now includes WebXR support, opening the door for immersive augmented reality experiences that you can access directly from any WebXR-enabled website.
Spotlight reimagined
With the new dedicated Spotlight Lens, Snap created a phone-free, larger-than-life experience that spatially overlays your favorite content onto the real world.
Now you can do the dishes while your favorite creator’s video plays seamlessly in front of your eyes, or layout comments in 3D space. The portrait orientation of our Spectacles’ field of view is a perfect fit for vertical video, allowing you to enjoy content without ever having to look down at your phone. Easily anchor Spotlight in one place, or have it follow you as you move around.
There’s a Lenses app where you can look at a real pool table and the Lens will analyze which of the available shots is the best shot you can take.
Snapping & sharing
The new OS is also making it easier than ever to relive and share your memories. The new Gallery Lens lets you view your Spectacles captures in a spacious, interactive layout. You can scroll through a curving carousel of your photos and videos, zoom in for more detail, and easily organize your favorites before sending them to a friend or posting to your Story on Snapchat.
To make sure you can use Spectacles wherever life takes you, Snap is also introducing Travel Mode. This new feature stabilizes AR content and tracking systems while you’re on the move – whether you’re on a plane, train, or sitting in the passenger seat of a car – ensuring your digital content stays anchored and stable.
Lots of Lenses
There are hundreds of developers from 30 countries developing Lenses for Spectacles. Some fan favorites include SightCraft by Enklu, NavigatAR by Utopia Labs, and Pool Assist by Studio ANRK, as well as Snap-made Lenses including Finger Paint, Chess and Imagine Together.
Synth Riders, a critically-acclaimed freestyle dancing rhythm game, will be available on Spectacles, bringing fun, action-packed titles that people love to play right into the real
world. Players will be able to catch notes, ride the rails, and dodge obstacles by moving to the music, all while staying grounded in the real world and with the real people around you. The developer is creating the app from the ground up for Snap.
Hands-on with 2.0
The Snap team showed me a pair of Spectacles AR glasses with 2.0 features. The prototype was still pretty big, but it is able to do all of the processing necessary for the AR visuals without a link to your phone’s processing power or to a computer. This means its a truly untethered experience. You can use voice commands or you can make gestures with your hands like pinching to grab something and move it around in an AR space.
It took just a few minutes to learn how to navigate through the Snap 2.0 interface. I used my hand to make pinching gestures to perform actions like grabbing a chair in an image and then rotating it in 3D space so I could see it from a different angle.
With the Super Travel Lens, or application, Snap 2.0 can now translate menus and understand the values of foreign currencies. I saw it translate a menu from another language to English so I could see the English version via my Spectacles.
The Translation Lens can handle more than 40 languages. I connected with another Snap employee to jointly use a Translation Lens. I spoke one of the few words I know in Japanese and it was able to translate it for me — after a few tries.
The Translation Lens also enables real-time language translation between participants. You can have someone speak Japanese to you and it will translate in near real time to English. Of course, the other person can only understand what you say back if they have a similar set of Spectacles translating from English to Japanese in real time.
It can do things like identify tips or tell you how to set a table. You can watch YouTube videos or view WebXR experiences without custom lenses. Lens Explorer was able to tell me what kind of plant I was looking at. It took a couple of tries but it worked.
I got a look at the Spectacles Gallery to see captured videos. Snap is a huge believer in the AR platform. It has invested $3 billion to date in AR experiences over a decade, and 350 million people are engaging with AR through Snapchat daily. You can watch over 40 minutes on the device.
Over time, Snap will be rolling out the ability to post Spectacles videos to your Snapchat story, or send to a friend directly.