Snapchat launched Lens+, an expanded subscription tier announced on June 11, 2025, building upon the existing Snapchat+ offering by unlocking hundreds of exclusive augmented reality lenses, Artificial Intelligence-powered video effects, and premium creator experiences. With over 15 million current Snapchat+ subscribers, this new addition broadens the platform’s direct monetization strategy, serving as both an upgrade and complement to existing user benefits.
The Lens+ tier debuts with original content from Snapchat’s internal team and select creators, introducing innovative Artificial Intelligence video lenses and the Bitmoji Game Lens. The company has committed to refreshing its library weekly, emphasizing the role of creators in driving platform engagement. Snapchat plans to enable select lens creators to produce and monetize exclusive experiences, signaling a shift towards a revenue-sharing approach and supporting industry trends in creator-first monetization for premium content delivery.
Technical advancements behind Lens+ rely on upgraded AR development infrastructure, including newly released mobile and web-based lens creation tools that lower the barrier to content design and deployment. This, paired with the power of advanced machine learning and Artificial Intelligence, supports real-time, personalized AR rendering. AI video lens functionality—years in the making—leverages Snapchat’s generative Artificial Intelligence toolkit, allowing users to create dynamic visual effects, personalized overlays, and interactive entertainment elements like games within lens experiences.
This paid tier marks Snapchat’s move to diversify revenue streams beyond advertising and align with industry peers who are doubling down on subscription models and premium content. The platform’s expansion into creator monetization mirrors similar initiatives from other major social networks, yet is differentiated by emphasis on AR and creativity. Recent data points to rapid international growth of the AR creator ecosystem, especially in India, where developer participation and engagement have surged by over 50% in two years and monthly lens interactions have reached tens of billions.
Lens+ is accessible via Snapchat’s profile settings for existing Snapchat+ users, suggesting an integrated, tiered approach rather than a completely standalone product. Pricing and feature granularity remain undisclosed as of launch, but the company’s weekly content commitment and selective creator participation suggest an ongoing, resource-intensive operation aimed at maintaining high content quality. As competition over premium subscriptions intensifies across the social media sphere, Snapchat’s focus on exclusive, Artificial Intelligence-driven AR experiences and creator empowerment is poised to define its next stage of user engagement and revenue generation.
