Learn about working with Cloud Anchors in your own apps.
If you are new to Cloud Anchors, see the quickstart first for system requirements, setup, and installation instructions.
Enabling Cloud Anchors in your app
By default, Cloud Anchors are disabled in ARCore. You can enable cloud anchor capabilities in your ARCore Session configuration.
Note that the ARCore Cloud Anchors sample app ships with Cloud Anchors enabled for demo purposes only.
Performance considerations
Note the following when enabling Cloud Anchors capabilities in your app:
Memory usage will increase when you enable Cloud Anchors.
Battery usage is expected to be higher due to increased network usage and CPU utilization.
API Quotas
The ARCore Cloud Anchor API has the following quotas for request bandwidth:
| Quota type | Maximum | Duration | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of anchors | Unlimited | N/A | Project |
| Anchor host requests | 30 | minute | IP address and project |
| Anchor resolve requests | 300 | minute | IP address and project |
Best practices
The following best practices help create a good Cloud Anchors user experience.
General
- Avoid hosting or resolving Cloud Anchors on shiny surfaces.
- For best results, avoid reflective surfaces or surfaces without visual features, such as a blank, smooth, white wall.
- Make sure that the lighting in the room is sufficient.
- For best results, lighting conditions should be consistent between anchor host and resolve requests.
Hosting
Before hosting an anchor:
- Try to look at the anchor from different angles.
- Move around the anchor for at least a few seconds.
- Make sure you are not too far away from the anchor.
Resolving
When resolving an anchor:
- Make sure you are close to where the anchor was hosted.
- If you are too far away from a cloud anchor’s position, it might resolve incorrectly.
- A Cloud Anchor might resolve incorrectly if your device camera is pointed at a space that is different from but visually identical to where the Cloud Anchors were hosted.