9 of the best augmented reality smartphone apps and games you can get today

Apple is making a big augmented reality push with iOS 11 and its new phones – especially the iPhone X – but you don’t need a new handset to give AR a try. Augmented reality apps, which pop digital images and content atop real footage or images, or combine real and virtual elements with ease, can already be found on both iPhone and Android. Want to give it a shot? Here are nine of the most amusing, helpful, and entertaining AR apps you can grab right now.

GOOGLE TRANSLATE

Google’s hugely useful app frankly feels a bit like magic in practice. Using your phone camera, it can read words and translate them on the fly right in front of you, even in real time. Just point the camera at some text, be it on a sign, package, or anything else, choose the language you’re translating to and from, and see the visual trickery in action.

POKÉMON GO

Not yet been bitten by the Pokémon Go bug? This mobile twist on Nintendo’s juggernaut favourite sends you out and about on the hunt for virtual monsters in your city. Your real-world surroundings become the world map for the game, and it’s populated with Pikachu, Charmander, and hundreds more familiar monsters (and Pidgey – loads of Pidgey).

INKHUNTER

This ingenious freebie app lets you drop a digital tattoo design on to your body in real time, letting you see how it’ll look on your skin. You can use existing designs or your own, and tweak them until you’re happy. It could save you a laughable (or horrible) permanent fate.

SNAPCHAT

Snapchat might be everyone’s favourite way to send short-term disappearing messages, but the app’s real best feature is its ridiculous lenses that transform your face in real time. The delightfully dopey filters are a blast to fool around with when you’re bored, or need to amuse a small child. They easily rearrange or embellish your face in silly ways with AR trickery, and we’ve since seen copycat versions show up in loads of other camera and messaging apps.

IKEA CATALOG

Most people love a good Ikea trip – but rather than just imagining how chairs, shelves, and bedframes will fit into your space, you can use the Catalog app to drop a perfect 3D version of each into view via augmented reality. Wonder no more…and don’t waste time clumsily building something you’ll hate.

INGRESS

Ingress is essentially the same as Pokémon Go, built by the very same developer, but it predates the Nintendo spinoff by a few years and never found quite the same wide, mainstream audience. It’s not nearly as colourful or attractive, nor is it very easy to get into – but Ingress has its die-hard devotees, and if you’re willing to invest the time to figure it out and contend with high-level, longtime fans, then you might get sucked in.

NIGHT SKY

Can’t tell your Little Dipper from your Ursa Major, or pick out any of the stars in the crowded evening sky? Well, that’s exactly what Night Sky is for: it uses your location and GPS info to help you find exactly what’s up above at any given time. Just load up the app and point it skyward, and Night Sky will single out the real stars and constellations as you rotate your phone around.

TRANSPARENT EARTH

This simple freebie app approximates what’s on the other side of the Earth based on where you aim the phone, answering the lifelong question, “What would happen if you dug a hole all the way to the other side of the Earth?” Well, you’d burn up in magma, of course. But don’t tell that to young children.

QUIVER – 3D COLORING

Quiver is one of the better picks for kids as it can transform their colouring pages into proper 3D characters via your phone’s camera, and even let them play little games with them. Specially marked pages are available via the Quiver website that let you accomplish the feat. Just print one out, colour the images as you please, and then scan it with the Quiver app to bring your customised character to life.