Meta's new Muse Image model accepts Instagram accounts as a prompt

Published 7 July 2026 · tech

After launching Muse Spark and kicking off its new family of AI models in April 2026, Meta is ready to tackle image generation. Muse Image

After launching Muse Spark and kicking off its new family of AI models in April 2026, Meta is ready to tackle image generation. Muse Image is the first AI image model created by Meta Superintelligence Labs, and the company says it's now available in the US through the Meta AI app, Instagram and WhatsApp. Muse Image uses an "advanced reasoning to understand complex prompts, seamlessly blending multiple photos into high-quality creations," according to Meta. The model can generate images in a wide variety of formats and styles, and understands conversational prompts to make asking for changes simple. Meta also claims Muse Image can be prompted to generate a functional QR code and that text it produces in images "comes out legible and styled to match." The new model will power a variety of features across Meta's apps, but in Meta AI, it's primarily focused on image generation and editing.

You can use a series of presets as a jumping off point for editing or generating an image, or the "Ideas" tab in the app's image editor to prompt further tweaks. Meta will even let you draw and write on a photo to indicate what you want Muse Image to change. Like Google, Meta is connecting its new AI model to its other services. Taking a picture of your room and asking Meta AI to redecorate can pull furniture from listings from the web and Facebook Marketplace. Tagging a friend's Instagram account, meanwhile, can incorporate their likeness in a generated image. The same controls you have in place for how your photos are reused on Instagram apply, but Meta seems interested in capturing some of the viral interest OpenAI drummed up when it let users create videos of friends with its now defunct Sora app.

Outside of the Meta AI app, Muse Image is powering over 30 new effects for Instagram Stories, including one that edits your photo to look like you took it with a disposable camera and another simply called "Puffer." A new interface in Instagram's image editor will let you preview these effects before you apply them, and Meta says you can also prompt an entirely new edit if you're not happy with its built-in effects. All the new image editing and generating abilities unlocked by Muse Image also carry over to chats with Meta AI in WhatsApp. Using Muse Image is free for "everyday creation," according to Meta, with the option to generate even more images with a paid Meta One subscription. When asked for more information, Meta said limits could vary depending on variables like which services users are accessing Muse Image from or their current location.