What is Lensa? The app taking over social media with AI filters, explained

Art created through Artificial Intelligence is all the rage at the moment, flooding the web with stylized, intriguing pieces generated via a range of handy AIs.

The AI craze is also dipping its toes into the realm of filters, providing social media users with a new way to enjoy the flexibility of AI. Filters have been a massive social media draw for years now, but you’ve never seen filters quite like these. Attaching cat ears or flawless skin are things of the past — now, you can alter images to look like they were created via a range of artistic mediums. Watching your own face transform into a stunning piece of art is a delightful experience, and the draw is enticing users to flood to a fresh AI app in droves.

The Lensa app is on a sharp rise on TikTok and other social media platforms, where users are sharing the stunning results of their own experimentation with the app.

What is the Lensa app?

Lensa is a photo editing app powered by AI. It provides users with a huge range of editing tools, which range from the typical — allowing users to erase blemishes and edit out exes — to the far more complex. The advanced edits allowed by Lensa allow users to edit their photos to look like almost anything, from rough sketches to elaborate oil paintings, and the results are a sight to behold.

How to download and use Lensa

Lensa’s ability to transform users into everything from works of art to anime characters is drawing new users in by the thousands. Tracking down and using the app for yourself is a relatively simple process, starting with searching and downloading the app from your preferred app store. It’s available for both Android and iPhone, so the vast majority of users should be able to track it down with ease.

Once you’ve downloaded the app onto your device, you’ll want to open it up and peruse its options. At the outset, Lensa will walk users through some of its features, before prompting them to “get started.” Select this option to begin the process of creating an account.

Don’t balk at the requirement to sign up for a paid subscription — the app offers up a free trial. If you end up hooked, you’ll eventually have to pay the subscription cost, but to start off just navigate to a prompt that says “Not sure yet? Enable free trial.” This will provide a selection to “try free & subscribe.”

This will give you access to the app on a trial basis. Once you’ve selected the yellow button inviting you to “try now,” users can peruse the terms of use and privacy policy, and get to editing.

There is almost certain to be some degree of cost involved with using Lensa, so if you’re looking for an entirely free option, look elsewhere. Once you’ve polished off the legal documents, users will be prompted to select between 10 and 20 photos from their library. Once they’re imported into the app and you’ve selected your gender, you’ll be faced with a fresh payment prompt. This one will ask users to select how many AI avatars they’d like to purchase. Those enjoying the free trial can choose between 50 avatars for $2, 100 avatars for $3, or 200 avatars for $4, according to Digital Trends.