GoogleForget goofy video filters -- Alphabet's Google is skipping all that in favor of a more functional approach. Snap's meteoric rise in popularity has been driven largely by its live video filters, or Lenses, that overlay various types of visual effects in real time. These are but one of many features that larger rival Facebook has replicated, recently launching a Camera Effects Platform as its big push into augmented reality (AR) that will complement its concurrent efforts to expand virtual reality (VR).