Augmented reality refers to the process of using technology to view objects in a different way, and if you aren’t sure how this works, you can check out a few examples of augmented reality.

Several major companies have introduced augmented reality as a way to reach out to customers, but some of the best examples in the modern era are probably the apps and games that you can download to any smartphone.

Pokemon Go

Pokemon Go became a smash hit. In just one week after its release, more than 10 million users downloaded the game. Pokemon Go lets you search the world for all your favorite characters from the game franchise. The app uses your GPS to find your current location and shows you destinations that have balls available. You pick up those balls and use the app to find the characters hiding in the wild. Once you find one, you use your phone’s screen to catch the Pokemon character and add it to your collection.

Ingress

One of the best examples of augmented reality is the app Ingress, which came out before Pokemon Go but from the same creators. Beth Winegarner even recommends the game for those who want to get more out of augmented reality that Pokemon Go can provide. Ingress uses a science-fiction slant and features portals that pop up around the world. Players meet online and form small teams before going out into the wild to battle over those portals. As players win battles, they unlock better equipment and weapons that can help them go farther.

Zombies. Run!

Zombies, Run! is similar to some of these other apps and serves as one of the best examples of augmented reality. The app uses your GPS to map out a trail for you to follow. As you begin walking or running, it shows you virtual zombies on your screen that you must avoid. Those zombies will grow in both strength and size to make you move faster. It also comes with a training feature that helps you slowly increase your speed and endurance for up to eight weeks before playing the full game.

Zombies Everywhere

While you might think that Zombies, Run! and Zombies Everywhere are the same game, Zombies Everywhere is more like Pokemon Go. It uses GPS and other features on your smartphone to determine your current location and then shows you a number of zombies in your area. You use the buttons and screen on your phone to select the weapons you want to use to battle and eventually kill those zombies. You can also use the app to track down weapons hidden around you. The app changes based on the number of zombies and weapons available based on your current location.

Blippar

Blippar is one of the top examples of the augmented reality processes used by manufacturers and companies to connect with consumers. When you have this app on your phone, you take a picture with your internal camera and find out more about that item. If you take a picture of a movie poster, it might bring up a short trailer for that film, an interview with the cast and director or a video for a scene cut from the film. Blippar also uses images that you take of magazine covers, vehicles and even buildings.

Augmented reality refers to apps and products that change the way you view the world around you. An app like Zombies Everywhere or Pokemon Go transforms your environment into a fantasy world that is unlike anything you ever saw before. The best examples of augmented reality include apps and games like Blippar and Ingress.