Welcome to Yahoo News in augmented reality!
The Yahoo News app now supports augmented reality (AR) on select stories. Using your mobile device, AR can help stories come alive, bringing the virtual world into the real world. Here are some frequently asked questions about AR and how it can deepen your news experience.
What is augmented reality (AR)?
Augmented reality is an interactive and immersive storytelling experience that brings 3-D images, data, and information into your physical space using your mobile phone.
Why would I do that?
By superimposing virtual content into the space around you, AR can help us understand complex concepts by making them life-sized and more tangible. It can show you how one family is rebuilding in Paradise, it can bring the moon’s surface to your desktop, or bring historical figures to life in your living room. It’s also really fun!
Wait, do I need any special equipment to use AR?
No, all Yahoo News AR stories work with just your mobile phone. For most stories, listening with headphones is the ideal way to get the full audio experience.
Sounds great! How do I get started?
1. Make sure your iPhone has the latest iOS software update.
2. Download the latest version of the Yahoo News app on your iPhone (iPhone 8 or later). Unfortunately, Yahoo News AR experiences are not yet available for Android.
3. Launch the Yahoo News app and click on any AR-powered story, for example the behind-the-scenes look of how one couple is rebuilding after the deadly fire in Paradise, Calif.
4. Watch this short tutorial that will show you how to properly scan your environment and get started in AR.
5. Scan the ground in front of you and the experience will begin!
How can I share my AR experience?
Most Yahoo News AR experiences have a feature to take a photo of the 3-D object you’re projecting and record a short video of your experience. Snap away and share your journey on social media.
Does Yahoo News save my data or anything recorded on my phone during the experience?
The Yahoo News app will require access to your device's camera in order for you to use the AR functionality. This access may be toggled on or off at any time in your device's settings. The camera images and any resulting data are only used for the current session. The live video feed that you see while using AR is only used for the purpose of providing the feature, and this data is not stored locally or remotely. Any data related to your use of AR is stored only on the device, and only for the duration of your current session. Each time the home screen is presented or the application is closed, the data is deleted. Yahoo News does not store or share with third parties data related to your use of AR.
