I used Meta AI to enhance my selfies — here's how to try it

20 hours ago 4

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

I have an embarrassing number of photos on my phone. Between breakfast and the time my kids leave for school, I must take about 25 pictures on average of them doing something silly, cute, or memorable enough that I want to document the moment. I don’t deny that I’m a photo hoarder. But sometimes the photos don’t always come out as expected. Sometimes, a laundry basket takes center stage, a neighbor kid pops up in the background, or a spaghetti stain is too obvious on my toddler’s pants. That’s where Meta AI photo editing comes into play.

Meta has introduced advanced AI-driven tools designed to enhance and personalize photos and selfies across its platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. These features, such as the "Imagine Me" tool and AI-powered photo editing capabilities, offer users innovative ways to transform their images with ease.

This time, I’m pushing my habit of taking photos of other people aside and using Meta AI to enhance my own selfies. With so many images to choose from and a world of creative possibilities, I couldn’t wait to dive in and see what Meta AI could do.

Meta's AI photo editing tools are designed to be intuitive and user-friendly, making it accessible for both novices and seasoned photo enthusiasts. All you need is your imagination and some fun prompts.

To access the feature simply log in to your preferred Meta platform (such as Instagram) and navigate to the chat or story section. From there, upload your selfie and get ready to interact with Meta.

You can touch up your appearance

If you don’t like the color of your glasses, lipstick, or the shirt you’re wearing. Ask Meta AI to make some adjustments. In my case, I wanted to have some fun, so I asked for hot pink glasses and lipstick.

At first, the AI only created hot pink glasses, so I had to go back and ask it to add lipstick, too. You can try a variety of prompts, from adding bangs or changing the color of your hair to a complete wardrobe change.

Change the narrative

In this next image, I asked Meta AI to change the image almost entirely by adding a piano instead of a drum set. While it tried, Meta AI failed to completely hide the drum set here, making it somewhat of an AI fail.

However, if I really wanted to, I could ask Meta AI to clean up the image or even use another photo editing tool such as Apple Intelligence to clean up the picture. Overall, I would give this a C-Plus, because the piano is sized appropriately, which is something AI doesn't always get right. Yet, the drum kit is still visible, so this edited didn't completely make the grade.

Accessorize the image

Perhaps my favorite image in this experiment, Meta AI changed a traditional selfie of me flashing the peace sign into a tropical one by adding a parrot.

I was surprised by how realistic my fingers look and how the parrot seemed to effortlessly fit into the image as if it was there the whole time. Meta AI wins for this image.

Changing the scene

A simple errand to the store looks anything but normal when Meta AI changed the scene. I asked it to make it look like I was driving a spaceship, and it did not disappoint.

Although I’ve never been inside a spaceship, what Meta AI came up with seems to be pretty realistic, and you’d hardly guess this was an edit.

Doing the impossible

Meta AI took a normal photo of me jumping on our backyard trampoline and turned it into an epic stunt. The obvious fail here is that I prompted Meta AI to make it look like I’m jumping over a Cybertruck, and it gave me what looks like a regular vehicle.

Other than that and the AI leaving the instructions for the trampoline visible, this was another fun picture.

Advanced editing capabilities

Beyond basic edits like the ones I prompted, Meta AI offers advanced functionalities that provide users with greater creative control over their images. For example, you can do object manipulation by asking the AI to remove elements from your photo.

From a lamp post in the background to a stranger, you can remove anything you don’t want and add what you do want (perhaps a sunset on the horizon). You can also change the style of the images. Just tell Meta AI to transform your photo into a watercolor painting or add a comic book effect and it will.

Tips for optimal results

For the best results, you’re going to want to be as specific and detailed as possible with your prompts. In your instructions to Meta AI, be sure your prompts are clear to achieve the desired outcome. Also, use high-resolution images with good lighting to enhance AI processing. Don’t hesitate to experiment with a variety of prompts and styles to fully explore Meta AI’s suite of capabilities.

Meta's AI-powered photo editing features empower users to creatively enhance their selfies with minimal effort. By integrating these tools into daily social media interactions, you can produce personalized and engaging content that reflects your unique style and imagination.