Viber unveils its lens user statistics

Rakuten Viber, a global leader in private and secure messaging and voice-based communication, has released the results of an analysis of their “Viber Lens” feature’s uses.

The feature was launched in partnership with Snap in June 2021 and has been rolled out to major markets over several months, said a press release.

Since the first wave of the launch, more than 7.3 million users have put the Lenses to use for media such as pictures, videos, or GIFs. More than 5.6 million users generated more than 51.8 million captures in the app.

According to the data, women are more likely to augment their reality using the AR Lenses, with females making up 46 per cent of Viber’s monthly active users (MAUs) and representing 56 per cent of Lens users.

Females are also more likely than males to capture and send media, as 59 per cent of females using Lenses will capture media, and 30 per cent of those will send it, while 55 per cent of males using Lenses will capture media and 27 per cent of those will send it. 

“Cartoon Face” – which overlays big, googly eyes and a long tongue on an image – was the most popular Lens. Fashion magazines touted red hair as the color trend for 2021, and the trend spilled over into AR filters, as “Red Head” – a Lens that gives users long, red hair – was the second most popular Lens on Viber. Coming in at third place was the “Halloween Elements” Lens, which puts a ghoulish mask on the user’s face.

The Tiger Lens created through a partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) was also highly popular, and in some regions, endangered animal Lenses resulted in a donation to the WWF. The findings also showed that it’s not just the youngest age group that enjoys using AR filters
for messages.