Apple gets patent for ‘synthetic’ group selfies

Apple’s been awarded a patent that could be emblematic of the times we live in – for a software process to create ‘synthetic group selfies’. If you’re wondering what this is, the filings describe this as “a composition of still images, stored video images, or live streaming video images. The computing device can automatically arrange the individual selfies into the synthetic group selfie…”

In other words, Apple might be planning on a feature that’ll let you and your friends ‘take a selfie’ together without necessarily being in the same location. You could all be across the world from each other, but you’ll still be able to take a selfie. Or rather, you’ll take individual selfies, and an app will stitch together your photos or videos, creating an artificial – or synthetic – group photograph despite none of you having to stand together. You’ll also be able to change the composition, by rearranging the placement of individual selfies that have been combined to create the group photo.

If it sounds perfect for the age of social distancing, that’s because it probably is (even though this was filed around two years ago), as with restrictions on travel still in place across many cities and towns, and social distancing being the call of the day, this is perhaps the closest many of us will come to taking selfies with our friends and family. As of now, there’s no news on when (or even if) Apple will release this feature to the world, but we’d think this stands a great chance of being a runaway hit.

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