How TikTok Used the iPhone 12 Pro’s LiDAR Scanner

There’s no-doubt that TikTok was one of the apps of 2020. In the run-up to the new year, the short-video social network made use of one of the hardware products of the previous 12 months – the iPhone 12 Pro and Max.
TikTok NYE Effects US iPhone 12 Pro LiDAR Scanner
Specifically, TikTok released new year-themed effects that utilized the iPhone 12 Pro’s LiDAR Scanner. (The component is also in the 2020 iPad Pro.) Called Snow Playground and Confetti Celebration, they went live on December 26, 2020, and used the scanner’s depth-sensing capabilities for a highly immersive experience, interacting with the environment around the creator. The Confetti Celebration effect, shown below, resembles the AR Easter Eggs Apple used ahead of events last year.

To ring in 2021 we released our first AR effect on the new iPhone 12 Pro, using LiDAR technology which allows us to create effects that interact with your environment – visually bridging the digital and physical worlds. We're excited to develop more innovative effects in 2021! pic.twitter.com/6yFD2FfHta
— TikTokComms (@TikTokComms) January 6, 2021

More to Come?
TikTok told The Mac Observer that it continues to look for new ways to innovate and enhance the app experience and bring additional value to its community. It seems, therefore, that creators and viewers alike can look forward to more such effects that deploy the iPhone 12 Pro and Max’s higher-end features. As 9to5 Mac noted, TikTok is not the first app to make use of the iPhone 12 Pro’s LiDAR Scanner. For instance, Snapchat built a whole new app called Lens Studio to help users get the most out of it.
Tags: TikTok