Snapchat is expanding access to its AI image-generation tool, the Imagine Lens, allowing all users in the United States to try it for free. The feature, first launched in September for paid subscribers, marks Snapchat’s first open prompt AI Lens, enabling users to generate or edit images using custom text commands.
With the Imagine Lens, users can input prompts such as “Turn me into an alien” or “Show me a grumpy cat” to transform their photos instantly. Snapchat suggests the tool can also help users try Halloween costume ideas, experiment with styles, or reimagine friends’ looks. Once generated, the results can be shared with friends, posted to Stories, or saved outside the app.
The free rollout follows competition from Meta’s new AI video tools and OpenAI’s Sora, both of which have drawn younger audiences with generative media features.
Pressure From AI Video Rivals
Meta’s AI and OpenAI’s Sora now offer advanced video generation features, allowing users to create AI personas or “cameos” using personal recordings. These tools let friends appear together in synthetic videos, setting a higher creative bar for social media platforms.
By contrast, Snapchat’s decision to make its AI image generator free aims to keep users engaged through accessible creativity rather than full-scale video synthesis.
Previously available only to Lens+ and Snapchat Platinum subscribers, the Imagine Lens now offers a limited number of free image generations to U.S. users. The company plans to expand availability soon to Canada, Great Britain, and Australia.
The Lens appears prominently in the Lens Carousel or can be searched by name. Users can edit the caption to enter prompts or use preset suggestions for inspiration.
Snapchat says users engage with its Lenses more than 8 billion times per day, highlighting the tool’s importance to the platform’s user experience. The company views the new AI Lens as a natural extension of its long-standing emphasis on augmented reality and creative self-expression.
Featured image credits: Snapchat
For more stories like it, click the +Follow button at the top of this page to follow us.