It’s no secret that interactive print is exploding across the globe.

From real estate agencies in Australia, to big brands and publishers in Canada and the United States, to the biggest publications in France and the Netherlands, and even a boom in downloads of the Layar App in Saudi Arabia – Layar is a truly worldwide company. We’ve even taken it upon ourselves to make sure content is distributed across dozens of servers worldwide for greater speed.

As the international market for interactive print emerges, it’s time for us to take the next step in providing the best possible user experience to as many people as possible. Available today for iOS and Android, version 7.2.2 of the Layar App  includes support for the following languages:

Combined with English, these languages make up a large portion of Layar users around the globe, but this just the beginning. To provide the best experience to more users, we will add more languages based on usage and demand over time.

The inclusion of native language support within the Layar App makes it easier for publishers to create seamless and engaging experiences for their readers. Publishers could already tailor their interactive print content into the language of their choice, and now the Layar App itself follows suit to provide an immersive experience in a user’s native language. It’s simply a better all-around experience for users.

Want your language supported in the Layar App? Let us know in the comments section which one we should do next!

We’ve just released an update to Layar that includes some new functionality that may surprise you. With the new Layar App v7.2 for iOS and Android, you can now also scan and view content from QR codes – but not in the way you might think. It’s way better than that.

When we launched the Layar Creator and interactive print, some said we were sticking the knife in QR codes, or even providing the final nail in the QR code’s coffin.

We’re not killing the QR code. We’re making the QR code better than ever by pairing it with interactive print and bringing the two technologies together in a single app, providing a better user experience. No more switching from one app to another; now the Layar App does it all.

With QR codes, Layar first analyzes the content and determines what it is. Then, instead of suddenly whisking users away or abruptly performing an action on their device, Layar displays the content in AR just as it does with interactive print. It’s QR with an AR twist.

You’re then just one tap from viewing a web link, watching video, listening to audio, sending an email or SMS, adding an event to your calendar and more. It’s a truly engaging mix of technology, bringing the power and engagement of augmented reality to QR codes.

A growing number of people scan items with the Layar App every day, and we noticed that a large portion are attempting to scan QR codes. Now, users won’t need a second app to view both interactive print and QR code content – Layar does it all, turning any normal QR code into interactive print.

Be sure to download Layar 7.2 for iOS and Android today.

The all new Layar SDK - a toolkit for embedding Layar’s interactive print technology into your own app - joins the Layar App, the Layar Creator, the Layar App Service and the Layar Development Platform to round out our interactive print product family.

Just as the Layar App Service gave brands a white-label solution for interactive print apps, the Layar SDK lets you embed the easy-to-use and robust Layar technology into your very own iOS or Android app. Provide the engagement of interactive print within the context of your brand identity while building and launching the apps all on your own.

Target your audience and installed base with your interactive print content by linking your app to your print products. Now retailers can link the products in their catalog to those in their online stores, magazine and newspaper publishers can treat readers to exclusive digital content in their app, and so much more.

So how does it work? After you design and build your brand’s app (or if you already have one) just create an interactive print campaign with the Layar Creator or the Layar API, hook the Layar SDK into your app to connect it with your campaign, and publish the app!

Interested in the Layar SDK? Fill out this form and leave us your contact details and we’ll reach out to you as soon as possible. You can try out the SDK for 30 days free of charge, after which a fee of $3,250 (€2,500) per app, per year is required for continued use.

Learn more about the Layar SDK here, or dive into the technical documentation to learn the ins and outs.

Earlier today, Layar surpassed a monumental milestone. Across all platforms, the Layar app has now been downloaded over 25 million times!

We’re thrilled to hit the 25M mark, and we wanted to take this opportunity to thank you, the users of the Layar app, who made this amazing feat possible. We now average 1 million downloads each month as more and more people choose Layar as their AR app of choice.

“We’re seeing that mobile augmented reality is really starting to hit the streets,” said Layar CEO Quintin Schevernels. “AR is going mainstream, and we’re leading the way thanks to our loyal user base.”

Layar is the global leader in mobile augmented reality. More people download and use the Layar app than any other AR application on the market. So thank you again for making Layar the best!

Today we’re announcing a bunch of great improvements to the user experience of the Layar app which have created the easiest, most intuitive version of Layar yet.

Ease of use is imperative to any mobile application - especially AR apps - and this is exactly what we have aimed for with Layar 7.0, available today for iPhone and Android.

Here’s a quick breakdown of what you’ll find in the latest version of Layar:

Point, Scan, View - We’ve streamlined and simplified the scanning experience. A redesigned welcome screen invites users to seek out Layar-enabled content, scan it and view it - making the process easier than ever.

Separating Geo from Vision - In this version, users no longer need to select a “layer” after scanning something - all relevant content appears automatically. Because this effectively breaks the concept of “Vision layers” (only Camera View, no List or Map View), Geo-Layers have been compartmentalized into their own section. Users can still browse and search for Geo-Layers in the catalogue. Additionally, Vision layers will no longer appear under the “Test” tab. To test your layers, simply scan your pages as the user will.

Improved Handling of Location Services - You no longer need to have location services enabled on your device for Vision layers to work, improving both performance and battery life! Plus, iPhone users will no longer be shown the compass calibration screen while viewing Vision layers.

Improved Messaging - We changed and added feedback messaging to users to guide them through using the app, making it the easiest experience yet. Additionally, we added a 30-second help video that quickly shows the three-step Point, Scan, View process. Users are invited to watch the video upon launching the app for the first time, and can view it again later in the Layar Settings/About screen.

More AR Video Support - AR Video - which allows users to view videos directly on top of physical objects - is now available on more devices, providing a more consistent user experience. Supported devices now include iPhone 3GS and 4, any Android device running v4.0 or higher or any dual-core Android device running anything below v4.0.

Android Redesign - To provide a more native Android experience for users, we have redesigned the app to fit with Google’s new Ice Cream Sandwich guidelines. This provides familiarity to users when using Layar and other applications.

Layar 7.0 is available today in the iOS App Store and the Android Play Store.