This App Gives Mexican Bills an Augmented Reality, Teaching Users About Mexican History in the Process

A recent TikTok from @arianamunoz_ has shed some light on BilletesMx, an app from the Bank of Mexico that allows its users to bring Mexican money to life.

Using the augmented reality feature, users have an opportunity to see 3D animations literally spring out of their money. Each bill has a corresponding animation, all of them tied to the history and culture of Mexico.

According to the Bank of Mexico, the app ⁠— originally released in 2019 but has received regular updates since ⁠— is designed to allow users to, “Learn about the security elements of the new family of banknotes, such as the multicolored denomination, the dynamic thread, the watermark and the touch-sensitive reliefs.”

Additionally, users will be able to, “Discover artistic details on the front and back and the fluorescence that the note emits under black light.”

The Bank of Mexico has had to clarify that the app is not an authentication app, as it’s only able to recognize the visual patterns of the bill that create the animations, but it’s still a neat novelty that’s worth checking out if you have some G-series bills lying around.

Although many users have reported bugs that don’t allow them to make it past the home screen, those who have gotten through are thrilled by what the app has to offer. Videos posted on social media and YouTube show off the fun, immersive animations provided by the app’s augmented reality feature.

There’s the 500 peso bill, which features the carriage that transported then-president Benito Juárez on July 15, 1867 as he entered Mexico City. He was hugely popular with the people because of his prioritization of Reform laws.

There’s also the 50 peso note featured in the original TikTok, which shows two people rowing a boat over waters filled with axolotls, an adorable amphibious animal that can be found in Lake Xochimilco outside of Mexico City, among many other places.

There really isn’t software quite like this on the app store today, and anyone with even a passing interest in Mexico’s history or its uniquely beautiful currency should give BilletesMx a shot.