If you’re a user of Instagram, chances are you’ve used one of the many filters made available via Stories. Most of which are created by third-party digital creators. And even if you aren’t a user of the fourth most popular social media platform in the world, you’ve probably heard about them in the news recently.
In case you’ve missed it, the use of Instagram filters has been banned in the state of Texas until further notice. Meta, who own Instagram, have been accused of using non-consensual biometric identification for commercial purposes. Which goes against Texas privacy laws. But according to Meta, they don’t use facial recognition. At least not anymore. But I digress.
Using AR technology, Instagram users can create fun Story posts of themselves and their surrounding environment. From face tuning and cat faces to silly quizzes, Instagram filters have evolved over the years as more of an interactive experience and not just a beauty tool.
One of those interactive experiences is a filter that allows you to play “Minecraft“. OK, so it’s not actually Minecraft. But it’s the closest you’ll get to the now dead “Minecraft Earth” mobile game.
The filter, called “The Blocks”, was created by AR artist Denis Rossiev. With it, you can build your own world using over 20 of the same materials made available in Minecraft. The Blocks also allows you to save your creations and build them where ever you go.
However it does come with its flaws. Unfortunately, even though it’s an Instagram filter, there’s no way of taking cool photos of one’s self within the environment. And while you can walk around the space and immerse yourself, it doesn’t always stay clicked in the one spot.
But even with its flaws, The Blocks is a fun filter to play around with. And hopefully it doesn’t get taken down anytime soon. To find it, scroll the camera button all the way to the right in Instagram Story creator and search “The Blocks”. Or alternatively, you can access it here.
