Two days ago, Facebook announced on its official blog that they are rebranding Facebook’s Camera Effects Platform to Spark AR, as a desire to capitalize future AR opportunities, as well as enhancing developers and creators experience on the Facebook platform. As a Facebook’s explanation, this new name “Spark AR” is considered to be a reflection of the growth in Facebook’s Camera Effects Platform.

Back in March 2017, Facebook introduced Facebook camera to make photo and video sharing even more expressive with fun masks, frames, interactive filters, and fresh art from featured guests, as well to create a new tool to capture and share moments with Facebook Camera on iOS and Android devices.

In April 2017, Facebook announced on its blog the launch of Camera Effects Platform turns smartphone cameras into the first AR platform, providing an opportunity for artists and developers to create effects for the Facebook camera. Additionally, Facebook also provided this new platform with two new creative tools, including Frame Studio and AR Studio, which support the Facebook community with the power to roll out a full spectrum of camera effects, from simple frames to interactive augmented reality (AR) experiences.

Now, Facebook announced the renaming of Camera Effects Platform to Spark AR, as a celebrating of the great success that Facebook camera reach in these few months.

As explained by Facebook:

“When we launched the Camera Effects Platform, we put the power of augmented reality into the hands of all developers and creators allowing them to reach 1.5 billion people on Facebook. In the last 18 months, our community of creators and developers has inspired us by building innovative experiences for the Facebook camera that go beyond animations, masks, and playful effects — pushing the boundary of what’s possible in AR.”

In the official announcement, Facebook also unveiled its plan to expand Spark AR to its owned photo sharing app “Instagram”. It confirmed that they are accepting applications for an expanded closed beta for Spark AR on Instagram, in order to enable developers and creators to distribute their content to more people across new surfaces.

Facebook also expressed its desire to help a wider variety of individual developers to have the power of Spark AR on Instagram in their hands. Additionally, it mentions that only beta participants will have the ability to benefit from Spark AR Studio in creating interactive experiences and make them available to their followers on Instagram.

“As we announced at F8 earlier this year, we’re continuing to expand Spark AR beyond the Facebook app,” “Accounts like Kylie Jenner, NBA, Ariana Grande, and Gucci have created effects for their followers in our early closed beta.” Facebook said.