What if you could catch a glimpse into the background of your photos, as if you’re moving your head to see what’s inside a window?

What you want is a feature of Facebook’s 3D photos announced in May. These 3D photos add on a make-believe depth to your iPhone portrait mode shots.

Facebook is always looking for new ways to keep their news feed interesting. What began with text and photos have eventually expanded into videos and live broadcasts. Now, they have moved on to 360 photos and 3D photos.

With the 3D photos, all you have to do is tap on the new 3D photos option in the status update composer and select a portrait mode photo to apply.

Users on the desktop or mobile as well as in VR through Oculus Go’s browser or Firefox on Oculus Rift can tap/click the photo and drag or move their head to see the photo’s depth. This feature is currently available for iPhone users and everyone can now view 3D photos, including the ability to create them.

But how exactly do 3D photos work? Facebook uses Artificial Intelligence or AI to stitch together real layers of the photo with what it derives should be there if you tilted your perspective.

To create the best 3D photos with your iPhone 7+, 8+, X, or XS, Facebook recommends that you keep your subject three to four feet away and have objects in the foreground and background. Distinct colours can make the layers separate better while transparent or shiny objects such as glass or plastic can throw off the AI.

Facebook hopes this new feature can be the catalyst for new kinds of content, prompting people to come back to explore and participate.