Snapchat opens access to its ‘Imagine Lens’, the first AI prompt-based tool

Snapchat has announced that its new “Imagine Lens”, the company’s first open prompt image-generation AI Lens, is now available for free to all users in the United States.

Initially launched in September for paid Lens+ and Snapchat Platinum subscribers, the Imagine Lens allows users to edit their Snaps or generate entirely new images using custom text prompts.

For example, users can instruct the app to “turn me into an alien” after taking a selfie, or request fun concepts such as a “grumpy cat”. Snapchat suggests the feature can also help users try out Halloween costume ideas or experiment with new looks.

Once generated, the results can be shared directly with friends, posted to Stories, or distributed beyond the app.

The wider rollout comes amid intensifying competition from Meta and OpenAI, both of which have introduced new AI video-generation tools aimed at younger users. OpenAI’s Sora, for instance, enables users to create short videos featuring digital versions of themselves using one-time video and audio inputs, while Meta has been integrating Meta AI features into its suite of social platforms.

Snap’s decision to make the AI Lens free is seen as a strategic move to keep pace with rival apps offering more advanced generative tools.

The company reportedly said that a limited number of image generations will now be available to all users at no cost. After the US launch, rollouts are planned in Canada, Great Britain, and Australia.

The Imagine Lens can be accessed from the Lens Carousel within the app or found by searching its name. Users can type their own prompts or choose from preloaded suggestions for inspiration.

Snapchat claims that users interact with its Lenses more than 8 billion times per day, underscoring the feature’s central role in the platform’s popularity.

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