Meta Adds AI Tools to Instagram Stories That Lets You Edit Photos
Generative AI is coming to Instagram Stories. Users will now be able to edit photos and videos by simply typing in a prompt. For example, in the image above where a group of people have been removed from the background.
The new editing options are available in the “Restyle” menu, accessed by tapping the paintbrush icon in the Stories composer. From there, users can choose “add,” “remove,” or “change” and describe what they want to alter. Meta has offered examples such as changing the person’s clothing, inserting a sunset background, or changing the color of their hair.
Preset effects offer additional customization by changing an outfit or converting the image into styles like anime, watercolor, or 8-bit. Users can also apply effects to short videos, such as making it appear as if it’s snowing or adding flames. Meta is testing similar AI-driven customization for text in Stories, allowing prompts such as “make it look like toy blocks” to stylize fonts beyond Instagram’s default selections.
These updates make Meta’s editing tools more accessible. Previously, AI image editing was limited to interactions with the Meta AI chatbot. By adding prompt-based controls directly to Instagram Stories, Meta is surfacing generative AI tools more prominently within the app. Instagram will also introduce an “add yours” sticker designed to encourage users to share prompts and allow others to build on them.
According to Meta’s AI Terms of Service, when users engage with these features, their uploaded media may be analyzed by AI. The company states it can “summarize image contents, modify images, and generate new content based on the image.”
Meta Continues its AI Push
Facebook recently unveiled a new AI-powered feature designed to help people find “shareworthy” photos they haven’t yet been published, but many were quick to point out privacy concerns.
TechCrunch reports that the company was recently seen testing a “Write with Meta AI” option to help users generate comments. And it launched an AI-generated video feed called “Vibes” within the Meta AI app.
To address concerns around teen usage, Meta has introduced new parental controls, giving parents the ability to disable chats with AI characters and monitor topics teenagers discuss with the Meta AI chatbot.
