Augmented reality (AR) can be a fun and valuable tool, especially when teaching children. The implementation of 3D and AR in Google Search is one of the best we've seen. This feature offers a novel way to interact with your favorite critters from your living room. Seeing a dinosaur in your house is an exciting prospect, regardless of your age.

Google expanded its collection of 3D animals. You can access it from almost any phone, whether it's a budget phone or a flagship. We show you all the AR animals available and how to view them on your phone.

Google's 3D animals explained

Google blends augmented reality and 3D technology to let you view and interact with animals in 3D. To start, search for one of the listed animals and select the option to view in 3D. These animals react to your environment, thanks to ARCore. The same software is responsible for AR stickers in the Google camera app. Move the animal to the coffee table, and it stands on it. Combine that with the ability to take pictures and videos, and you can get a photo or video of you having afternoon tea with a tiger.

If you want a more detailed view of these creatures, look at them without AR. Each animal opens like this by default, offering a view in your space button to enter AR mode. You can rotate each model without walking around the room. Zoom in close to see every detail Google packed into each animal. Aside from having no terrain to interact with, they still behave as they do in AR view. The tiger roars, the wolf howls, the dog barks, and the hedgehog burrows.

Which devices support Google's 3D animals?

You can view 3D animals on mobile devices. This feature is not available on laptops and desktop computers. You can access the 3D results from browsers like Chrome and Safari.

To view 3D animals, you need a phone with Android 7 or newer. To use AR, your Android phone must have ARCore support. If you are unsure whether your phone is compatible with ARCore, check Google's list of supported devices. iPhone users can experience 3D animals from Safari or in the Google app.

If you wish to use 3D animals on iOS, you'll need an iPhone 6s or later running iOS11 or later.

How to view 3D animals on your Android phone

Here's how to view 3D critters on Android:

  1. Open Google Search in your browser or launch the Google Assistant app.
  2. Type the name of an animal in the search bar.
  3. Press Enter.
  4. Go to the Meet a life-sized [animal name] up close section.
  5. Select View in 3D or tap the cube icon.
  6. Tap and drag the 3D image to move it around the screen.
  7. Tap View in your space to view the result in AR.
  8. Point your phone at a suitable spot, and the 3D animal appears on your screen with your room as the background.
  9. Tap the animal to move it around.
  10. Tap the camera button to click a picture.
  11. Hold the camera button to record a video.

How to view 3D animals on your iPhone

Here's how to view 3D creatures on your iPhone:

  1. Launch Safari and type google.com or open the Google Assistant app.
  2. Type the name of an animal in the search bar.
  3. Press Enter.
  4. Go to the Meet a life-sized [animal name] up close section.
  5. Select View in 3D.
  6. Tap View in your space.
  7. Follow the on-screen instructions to interact with the animal.

How to interact with 3D animals

When you search for an animal and select the option to view it in 3D, you'll see its animated close-up against a plain background. Swipe around to view the creature from any angle. Use the pinch gesture to zoom in or out.

The background changes to your room when you choose the option to view the animal in your space. You can make it smaller or larger by pinching or zooming. To change its orientation, hold one finger on the creature and use another finger to rotate it.

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Find your favorite AR animal

These are all the AR animals available. Have fun, and let your imagination run wild.

Go on safari and see wild animals

This category is more varied than others, including dangerous animals like alligators and bears. It also has more tame creatures like ducks and pandas. It's like having a zoo in your own home.

  • Alligator
  • Arctic fox
  • Bear
  • Bengal cat
  • Cheetah
  • Chipmunk
  • Coyote
  • Deer
  • Duck
  • Eagle
  • Fennec fox
  • Giraffe
  • Hedgehog
  • Hippo
  • Kangaroo
  • Koala
  • Leopard
  • Lion
  • Lynx
  • Macaw
  • Panda
  • Penguin
  • Rabbit
  • Raccoon
  • Red Panda
  • Snake (or ball python)
  • Tiger
  • Wombat
  • White-backed woodpecker
  • Wolf
  • Zebra

Go swimming with aquatic creatures

This is one of the newer categories, so there aren't many animals to see. For now, your undersea adventure is pretty limited. Google regularly adds new 3D animals, and we'll keep this section updated.

  • Anglerfish
  • Harbor porpoise
  • Octopus
  • Shark
  • Turtle

Play fetch with a dog

Dogs are our best friends. Google has an extensive list of the best breeds that will bring a smile to your face.

  • Akita
  • Australian Shepherd
  • Beagle
  • Border Collie
  • Bull Terrier
  • Bulldog
  • Cane Corso
  • Chihuahua
  • Chow chow
  • Cocker Spaniel
  • Dachshund
  • Dobermann
  • French Bulldog
  • German Shepherd
  • Golden Retriever
  • Great Dane
  • Korean Jindo
  • Labrador Retriever
  • Maltese
  • Pembroke Welsh Corgi
  • Pitbull
  • Platypus
  • Pomeranian
  • Poodle
  • Pug
  • Puppy
  • Rottweiler
  • Schnauzer
  • Shiba Inu
  • Shih Tzu
  • Siberian Husky
  • Yorkshire Terrier

Conjure up your favorite cat

There aren't as many cats on this list as dogs, but there are still more than enough to bring joy to your feline-loving heart. Who can look at a Scottish Fold without feeling happy?

  • Cat
  • Kitten
  • Maine Coon
  • Norwegian Forest cat
  • Persian cat
  • Ragdoll
  • Russian Blue
  • Scottish Fold
  • Siamese cat
  • Sphynx cat

Visit a farm and find domestic animals

This list has a variety of domesticated animals. You're bound to see a few familiar animals your kids will love, from pets like guinea pigs to farm animals like cows and pigs.

  • Donkey
  • Goat
  • Guinea pig
  • Hamster
  • Horse
  • Milk cow (dairy cow)
  • Ox
  • Pig
  • Shetland pony

Crawl around with insects

Insects can be hard to observe in the wild due to their small stature, but Google has plenty of them to look at here in AR. Get to know these creepy crawlers without any of the actual crawling.

  • Atlas beetle
  • Atlas moth
  • Brown cicada
  • Dragonfly
  • Evening cicada
  • Firefly (pick the insect, not the movie)
  • Giant stag
  • Grasshopper
  • Hercules beetle
  • Hornet
  • Jewel beetle
  • Ladybug (pick the insect, not the movie)
  • Mantis
  • Miyama stag beetle
  • Morpho butterfly
  • Moss carder bee
  • Periodical cicada
  • Robust cicada (or Hyalessa maculaticollis)
  • Rosalia batesi (this card won't show up; find another insect, then look for it in the Related section)
  • Rhinoceros beetle
  • Shining ball scarab beetle (or Leiodidae)
  • Stag beetle
  • Swallowtail butterfly
  • Walker's cicada (or Meimuna opalifera)

Hang out with the dinosaurs

Dinosaurs are cool, and that's a fact. Having one stand on your coffee table is even cooler. Just take our advice and don't put any Velociraptors in the kitchen.

  • Ankylosaurus
  • Brachiosaurus
  • Dilophosaurus
  • Parasaurolophus
  • Pteranodon
  • Spinosaurus
  • Stegosaurus
  • Triceratops
  • Tyrannosaurus Rex
  • Velociraptor

Get imaginative with fictional animals

As much as we'd like dragons and unicorns to exist, they don't. That doesn't make watching a dragon breathe flame any less cool. Hopefully, Google will add more fictional animals to its collection.

  • Dragon
  • Unicorn

Let your AR adventure begin

Playing with 3D animals can be an exciting experience for parents and children. Google develops many fun products like this one, and one of our favorites is Emoji Kitchen. It lets you combine two emojis to create a wild new emoji.

Google continues to cook up many new experiments. Sign up for Search Labs for early access to upcoming projects and new features.