Snapchat gets search for visual products powered by Amazon – Variety

Snap adds search for visual products to Snapchat to help its users identify products by simply capturing them with their cameras, the company announced Monday morning. Snapchat's video search is powered by Amazon, and consumers can easily order products recognized through the e-commerce giant.

"We are going to deploy it slowly, but we wanted to announce it to everyone at the same time," the company said in an article on the blog. "Snapchat has always been the fastest way to communicate, and now it's the fastest way to shop!"

In addition to directly recognizing the products, the application will also allow users to scan barcodes to access product information. Once a product is recognized, the Snapchat app displays a product listing containing basic information. Users can then tap the map to open the Amazon app on their phone and order it onsite.

The search for visual products is not entirely new. Amazon has been offering similar functionality to its users since 2009, when it introduced the search for books and CDs in its application. The company has subsequently deployed visual search capabilities for additional items and now offers this functionality for all product types.

Snap investors appeared to be intrigued by Monday morning's feature, briefly sending the stock up 3%. However, the recovery was not enough to compensate for the abandonment of the shares as the shares traded below Friday's closing price at the time of writing.