Snapchat Launches Birthdays Mini Feature to Let You Celebrate Your Friends via AR Lenses

Person taking a photo of a sparkler with a smartphone at dusk.

The art of creating Snapchat Lenses is really only the beginning of the augmented reality experience on the social media platform.

The real interactive fun begins when people begin to use the Lenses in deeply personal ways. One of those personal instances just became easier with the launch of the Birthdays Mini.

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First, some background. Snap Minis, launched last year during the Snap Partner Summit, allows users to engage various functions and experiences, sometimes created by third-party companies, all within Snapchat's Chat area instead of taking the user out of the Snapchat platform.

Birthday celebration interface with animated characters and messaging features.

Snap

Now, using the Lens sharing feature, the Birthdays Mini feature gives friends the ability to set up birthday notification AR Lenses that appear within the Chat section and can be shared via Snaps or posted as Stories.

Some of the other Minis already operating within Snapchat include experiences created by HBO Max, Poshmark, Movie Tickets by Atom, Register to Vote by DemocracyWorks, and others.

If you're still new to the Mini feature, you can locate it by going into the Chat section and tapping on the rocket icon shown at the extreme right of the chat text field. You can also access the feature via the Snapchat (iOS and Android) Search field.

Cover image by Krister via Unsplash

Apple's iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 updates are packed with new features, and you can try them before almost everyone else. First, check Gadget Hacks' list of supported iPhone and iPad models, then follow the step-by-step guide to install the iOS/iPadOS 26 beta — no paid developer account required.