So I’m trying something new. I realize that my blog posts are, well, lengthy. This surprises exactly ZERO people that know me well, as I’ve always talked too much and written too much. I just have a lot to share (and some of it is even interesting)! While most of my friends complained about writing double-digit page papers for classes, I was more concerned with how I was going to tweak Word’s margins to turn my 21-page paper into 15. I try my best to write shorter-form content, but as you can see I generally fail. In my defense, given the complexity of some of the topics I cover and the fact that I’m usually trying to break those topics down as simply as possible, sometimes it’s just impossible to keep things under 1,500-2,000 words (but I swear I try). At the same time, I know that most of you don’t always have the time or the desire to sit down and read a short novel about tech.
So here’s my new plan. I’m going to continue to post longer-form posts, but I’m also going to mix in some shorter posts that cut to chase and offer plain ol’ tech tips. But instead of Tips, I’m going to call them Tech Tidbits. I’ll use a standardized logo/photo at the top of each Tech Tidbits post so you’ll be able to quickly spot them. The plan will be to post a normal TIRL post on Mondays, a Tech Tidbits or Tech Tantrums post (I’ll explain this one soon!) on Wednesdays, and Tech Bytes on Fridays. This feels right to me, but we’ll see how it goes. As always, thank you to everyone that DOES make it through my posts (or even halfway through), and hopefully, you’ll like the new ones as well.
So without further delay, this post is my first shot at it. Let me know what you think!
My objective with Tech in Real Life is to reach a wide spectrum of technology users. However, while I would love for every single one of my posts to be universally helpful across that entire spectrum, I know that isn’t going to happen. Just as some post topics won’t appeal to all of my readers, the level at which I address some of the topics won’t either. If you read my post earlier in the week that dealt with some of the basics of Snapchat and it resonated with you because you are new to Snapchat or are still on the fence about whether to download the app and jump in, then this post is going to feel like a big leap and likely won’t make much sense. But that’s ok! The good thing about TIRL is that my written words will stick around as long as I keep the site live. So even if 3D Bitmojis don’t apply to you today, you can always revisit this post down the road when you are ready to explore some of Snapchat’s more complex (and really fun!) features.
So, 3D Bitmojis. This is probably the thing I’ve been asked about the most by friends and family over the past few weeks, so I felt like it was worth writing about. Usually, I’ve gotten the question(s) after they have seen me use one in a Snap and are curious how I did it. Well, luckily it’s pretty simple. Now, if you don’t HAVE a Bitmoji (a personal emoji that is a more attractive, cartoonish version of you) or don’t even know what a Bitmoji is but you’re an avid Snapchat user and this topic intrigues you, then start here or here to download the Bitmoji mobile app, and then let the app guide you through the Bitmoji creation process.
If you do have a Bitmoji, but just don’t know how to use the 3D Bitmojis in Snapchat, follow the steps below:
- Make sure your Bitmoji is connected to your Snapchat account
- Go to your Profile page > Settings (the little gear icon) > Bitmoji > follow the steps to connect your accounts
- Go to the Snapchat camera/home screen like you are going to take a photo/video
- With the camera facing OUT (not selfie mode) tap anywhere on the screen to bring up the Snapchat Lenses (they will appear in a row next to the camera button)
- Scroll through the different options and you’ll find a few of them that will showcase a 3D version of your Bitmoji; this, my friends, is what we call augmented reality —superimposing a computer-generated image onto a user’s view of the real world
- Watch and be amazed!
That’s it — pretty simple. I love seeing companies push the boundaries of technology, even in small ways. When I think about how Snapchat actually makes 3D Bitmojis work, my brain hurts. But it sure is cool. If this helped and you got it to work, send me a Snap (my username is likesdonuts) and let me know! And if you’re a savvy Snapchat user you can add me by taking a photo of my Snapcode from within Snapchat (it’s basically magic).
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