A Belgian software developer, Stijn Spanhove, has created an experimental AR ad blocker that digitally detects and covers real-world ads, such as billboards and soda cans.

World’s First AR Ad Blocker

Though blocking online ads is possible with ad blockers or paywalls, blocking real-world advertisements hasn’t been possible until now. The prototype is built for Snap’s fifth-generation AR glasses (Snap Spectacles) and uses Google Gemini AI to identify branded content and conceal it.

According to Interesting Engineering, the app replaces the original imagery or ad with a bright red square. The red blocks will also include the name of the hidden brand, calling out the brand without including the ad messaging.

“It’s exciting to imagine a future where you control the physical content you see,” Spanhove posted on X (formerly Twitter). Spanhove also hinted at additional features in follow-up replies, including options to replace the red square with text from the notes app or personal photos.

Using Snap’s Depth Cache API, the app detects objects in 3D space and maintains spatial consistency while the user moves. Gemini is used to identify the ads, including newspaper pages, food/beverage packaging, large posters, etc.

Spanhove shared demo clips showing the software identifying and covering ads on magazines, cereal boxes, and public signage. After a few seconds delay, the red overlay appears and follows head movements and perspective shifts.

This is still a prototype, however, so designers are working out some imperfections. For example, because Snap Spectacles use transparent displays, the overlays can’t fully block light, and the original ad can appear very faintly. The 46-degree field of view also limits coverage to only what’s directly ahead of the user.

Though interested users are asking for cross-platform support, the app currently only works for Snap Spectacles and will need separate development efforts for devices such as Apple Vision Pro or Meta Quest.