(Bloomberg) -- Snap Inc. is more aggressively embracing augmented reality-powered shopping features to compete in e-commerce with other social media platforms such as Facebook Inc. and ByteDance Ltd.’s TikTok.

The company said it has upgraded its augmented reality technology to let those on its popular Snapchat app use their voices and gestures to make changes in Lenses, or animated overlays, on photos and videos. The announcement was made Thursday at Snap’s annual partner summit, where the company outlines innovations and upgrades to its app. Snapchat, most known for its ephemeral videos and its popularity among teenagers and young adults, now has more than 500 million monthly active users and roughly 40% of its members are located outside of North America and Europe, the company said.

The new products are a “meaningful step forward in our platform strategy,” Chief Executive Officer Evan Spiegel said in an interview before the summit.

Snapchat also said its improving the visibility of its Scan feature, which works with partner companies to let people use the app’s camera to identify everything from types of plants and dog breeds to wine bottles and car models. Snapchatters also can scan an outfit and receive recommendations to buy similar looks from hundreds of brands.

The Santa Monica, California-based company is hoping its investments in augmented reality will help the app capitalize on the e-commerce boom. As the spread of Covid-19 kept many would-be shoppers away from brick-and-mortar stores, more advertisers experimented with AR shopping experiences such as allowing customers to try on clothes, accessories or beauty products from their homes. Augmented reality layers digital information on top of real-life images.

Other companies such as Facebook, Pinterest Inc., TikTok and Amazon.com Inc. have also made new investments in AR.

Snap’s push into augmented reality is just one part of its strategy to deliver multiple years of 50%-plus revenue growth in the future. Snap has made some recent acquisitions to bolster its AR technology including the $124.4 million purchase of Fit Analytics, a tech company that uses machine learning and webcams to allow users to create personalized fit profiles. The company said it was introducing new technology to enable more accurate experiences trying on eyewear, watches, jewelery and full-body outfits. More brands will also be able to create their own business landing pages on the app to house their AR campaigns.

©2021 Bloomberg L.P.