Google’s library of AR animals grows, with 50 new ones to choose from

Android users may miss out on Apple’s “animoji” but they do get to enjoy Google’s ever-growing zoo of augmented reality animals.

It started in mid-2019, when Google searches for a handful of animals on supported Android devices included a “View in 3D” result. Just over a year later, in August, the feature also came to the Google Arts & Culture app, with a specific focus on AR recreations of “ancient creatures.”

Now, the library of animals has grown. Google confirmed on Friday that there’s been 50 new additions to the library. These include more exotic animals, like giraffes and zebras, as well as more mundane livestock (pigs and cows), cats, and even a specific dog breed, the noble and beautiful chow chow. [Author’s note: My first dog was a chow chow, so maybe I’m biased.]

As you can see in the video Google shared, tapping the “View in 3D” link opens up a live view of the scene captured by your device’s camera lens. Once you get the scene situated, the animal you searched for appears in “live” form.

Always entertaining.

If you have any kind of AR-ready Android device equipped with a camera, be sure to try this yourself. You can see the full library of animals available to scroll through at the bottom of the screen after you tap “View in 3D” on whatever you’ve searched. 

Does this do anything meaningful? Nah. Is it a fun and cool way to set up weird photo opps around your home, especially if you have pets? Definitely.