Best Augmented Reality Apps for Android and iOS | 2021


During the last few years, with the advent of powerful Smartphone devices, Augmented Reality Technology evolved as a new buzzword across the globe. Few developers have already designed some very interesting Augmented Reality apps for Android and iOS.  By the way, Have you checked out our article about Augmented Reality Technology? If not, even then just sit back and relax.

 

I do think that a significant portion of the population of developed countries, will have AR experiences every day, almost like eating three meals a day.

It will become that much a part of you.   – Tim Cook, Apple CEO.

 

In simple words, it may be said that augmented reality technology seamlessly superimposes some relevant informative digital data (like the image, video, map, etc.) atop the view of the real-time environment taken through the device’s in-built camera.

 

 

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Augmented Reality enabled applications to deliver a composite immersive spectrum rooted in both the virtual & real world. The augmented reality technology has been expanding its realm and opening huge possibilities every day by providing users with an incredible viewing experience.

Here, we present an article showcasing our top picks for the best Augmented Reality Applications for Android and ios. The list is encompassing both premium and freemium offerings so that you may get the best advantage out of them.

 

Best Augmented Reality Mobile Apps 2020

 

I have handpicked these AR-based Apps for the Android Platform. Few of them will make your shopping seamlessly easier, some of them will turn your mobile into a hi-tech Pandora’s box.

 

 

Ink Hunter – Virtual tattoo

 

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Pic Courtesy: blessthisstuff.com

 

Do you want to make a tattoo on your arm and you don’t know which one fits you best? If the answer is “yes” then Ink Hunter is probably the best-augmented reality app suitable for you before getting a real one.

It’s a neat & user-friendly freeware app available at the google play store, with a vast collection of designs by various tattoo artists.

 

It virtually gives you a glimpse, how the selected tattoo would look like when it is inked on skin.

 

Just draw three lines on your skin where you want the real tattoo- open the Ink Hunter app- select a tattoo sketch from the gallery or you may even try your own, and then peek through the camera of your Smartphone to find your skin tattooed.

You can even share this AR image with your friends and seek their opinion. And if you already have a tattoo, then using this app, you can also transform it into an artistic one using songs or videos!

It also has an ios version available.

 

Pokemon Go – The game where AR took off!

 

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In recent times, the Augmented Reality based game Pokemon Go has snatched the attention of millions of people worldwide.

It’s a quite user-friendly freeware app that runs duly both on Android and iPhone devices. It uses the GPS technology of your device to track real locations. It allows the players to travel amidst the real world and the virtual world of Pokemon.

While playing this innovative game as you explore your surroundings, your Smartphone starts vibrating which means that you are near a Pokemon.

As soon as you encountered a Pokemon, touch the screen of your smartphone to throw a poke ball to catch it. If you miss it, it might run away. In this way, you can discover more than a hundred species of Pokemon.

Ohh…why am I explaining when you already knew it ?! Anyway, this Augmented Reality based game is available on iOS also.

 

Google Skymap

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Image Courtesy: hostingreviewbox.com

Google Skymap comes with a clear display and a handy zoom tool that enables you to explore the celestial wonders at a clear night sky in a fascinating way. This wonderful freeware will magically instill you, by rendering the ability to rediscover the night sky up above, using your Android device.

Once installed successfully, just point your device towards the night sky while it’s dark and clear all around. This innovative AR app will let you identify different stars, planets, and constellations in real-time,  that are visible to the device camera.

You can even make a search for a specific planet or star, that is not available on your present screen. Directional compass and the on-screen interface will curate you to find the same even when it is obscured by the horizon or covered by a veil of cloud.

This app is not yet available on iOS.

 

Top Augmented Reality Apps for Education

 

Augmented reality is no more just a gimmick as it serves a limitless variety of purposes to sustain meaningful learning in the classroom.

AR-based free or low-cost apps work in a nifty way to bring near-life experiences to the boring classrooms as they avidly let the pupil interact with their lessons. You will surely be fascinated to see the students were eager and engaged in learning like never before with various educational AR apps.

These apps are rapidly growing in popularity and they possess the breakthrough potential to transform the way of teaching and learning in the landscape of education. Here we have summarized some of our favorite augmented reality apps for education.

 

Elements 4D

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Image Courtesy: i.ytimg.com

 

For chemical reactions that were too dangerous to complete in the lab,

it was a great supplemental resource. – Courtney Pepe, High School Teacher, Monroe Township, New Jersey

 

This AR-based chemistry app, crafted by some talented teachers offers a fun way to learn useful chemistry lessons. At first, teachers have to download some paper blocks provided by the app developer (elements4d.daqri.com). Then they take a printout and assemble them to make some blocks, which act as trigger images for this marker-based AR app. Each block face represents a single element of the Periodic table.

Using this app, students can even combine different elements together to observe their chemical reactions in action. There are distinct lesson plans of  Elements 4D  for elementary, middle, and high school students.

 

Arloon Anatomy

 

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Image Courtesy: lh3.googleusercontent.com

 

This low-cost (2.99$) AR-based animated 3D human anatomy app curates kids to learn the structure and functions of different body parts of a human being. It is duly compatible with iOS, Android, and Windows platforms.

It provides illustrations in English and Spanish language. App’s augmented reality feature may be used to discover various parts of the respiratory, digestive, nervous, excretory, or any other systems on a real person through the camera of the device. This standout tool works better with Arloon’s downloadable square, small printouts.

This interactive and informative app also arranges for a quiz or test to assess the kids’ understanding, once a lesson is completed.

 

Science AR

 

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Image Courtesy: newscred.com

 

This marker-based AR app costs only 1.99$ and runs on iPad, iPhone, and iPod devices. The app uses a wi-fi and GPS system of the device and is triggered by the Science AR posters that can be downloaded in high-resolution PDF format, from www.appsbypaulhamilton.com at a cost of zero bucks.

Just point the device camera towards different parts of the printed poster and as soon as the device completes its scanning procedure, the images come alive on the screen by means of 3D models, videos, and scientific diagrams.

Posters related to various topics including the water cycle, erosion, planet earth, etc. are available.

 

Augmented Reality Apps for Travel

 

Our planet earth is so vast, isn’t it? Seriously, did you ever consciously think of it? There are numerous travel destinations with numerous ways to reach them.

We are living in an evolving world that is constantly growing up, changing itself, and offering newer means to explore it.

Therefore, modern travelers are always in search of up-to-date apps that can curate them by offering new ways to explore zillion of places. To support these globetrotters, augmented reality technology has been avidly adopted to develop various user-friendly apps.

These applications are constantly developing and improving with an aim to provide their users with some state-of-the-art features to gather an in-depth knowledge base about the places they visit. No doubt, it’s a great mission.

Some AR-based trailblazing travel & tourism apps showcased below which have been deliberately designed to meet every backpacker’s need.

 

Wikitude SDK-7

 

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Image Courtesy: techfactslive.com

 

Wikitude SDK is a freeware compatible with Android 1.5+, iPhone 4.0, Symbian with Compass, and Bada platform. This neat and user-friendly app won the Best Developer Tool award at Augmented World Expo 2017.

Wikitude SDK blends simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) technology, Geolocation based AR, 3D object recognition and tracking, 3D model rendering, marker-less instant tracking to provide a cross-platform AR experience for mobile, tablets, and the latest smart glasses.

Just point your device camera in any direction in a new town you arrived in, the Starbucks World will show you if there is any Starbucks Café in that direction.

You can also check out Wildlife parks in Asia, the World Heritage list, Irish pub worldwide, and much more from this app. You can download this application from www.wikitude.org.

 

ArchINFORM

 

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Image Courtesy: amazonaws.com

 

ArchINFORM is a freeware application compatible with Android and iPhone’s latest versions. It delivers a nifty 3D layer of Augmented reality with a huge database of architectural works for interesting architecture buffs.

Here, you will find that augmented reality technology provides an awesome experience of sightseeing. This is a handy app for gathering a vast knowledge base about historic buildings worldwide.

ArchINFORM is available on Layer and Wikitude AR browsers.

BuUuk

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Image Courtesy: travel.cnn.com

 

This freeware is an AR-based restaurant reference app duly compatible with Android, iPhone, and Symbian devices. BuUuk uses the GPS of your device to show nearby restaurants in the camera view and also recommends available special deals, along with user reviews and pictures.

If you’re planning destination covers Asian countries or Australia, Newzealand, Dubai, or maybe Hong Kong, then BuUuk is the application you must need. This useful AR application can be downloaded from the Google Play Store.

This beautiful AR app is also available for iPhone users.

 

ViewRanger

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Image Courtesy: adventureishani.com

Do you know, more than 250 search and rescue teams use this powerful app to help backpackers worldwide?

This AR-based freeware application does an exceptional job in the landscape of the travel and tourism industry. It brings augmented reality technology to the countryside with more than 150,000 interactive & inspiring route guides along with free downloadable worldwide maps to navigate outdoor adventures.

ViewRanger works fine with both Android and iOS platforms. It uses a powerful GPS feature to plot amazing routes from mountain ridges to coastal strolls, from backpacking epics to family woodland walks, that is suitable for everyone.

This useful app renders on-screen directions as well as alerts whenever you wander too far off track.

ViewRanger uses the device camera to point out over nine million spots across the globe encompassing peaks and lakes, ridgelines, and glaciers. Here you can even share your tour experience to inspire more travelers to discover new destinations.

 

These are a few of the best Augmented Reality apps for Android and iOS for 2020. There are plenty of other apps combining AR and Artificial Intelligence. If you come across any better AR app, don’t forget to mention it in the comments.

 


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