Meta has launched a new AI-powered video editing feature that lets users reimagine short video clips using a library of preset visual prompts. Now available through Instagram’s Edits app, the Meta AI app and Meta.AI, the tool, called Restyle, can alter a subject’s clothing, environment, lighting and overall mood with a single tap.

On the surface, it’s a flashy feature designed to drive engagement. But underneath, this launch signals a more strategic move. Meta is laying the foundations for a generative content layer across its consumer products.

Not Just Filters, But Context Shifts

Unlike traditional filters or AR effects, Restyle alters the visual narrative of a clip. The examples shown by Meta include users turned into graphic novel characters, underwater explorers or protagonists in a retro video game, complete with costume changes and stylised lighting.

The feature currently supports over 50 preset editing prompts and is limited to transforming up to 10 seconds of video. There’s no text-based customisation yet. That functionality is in development and expected to roll out later this year. When it arrives, users will be able to guide edits using natural language, bringing a much higher degree of creative control.

This isn’t deepfake territory. It doesn’t reconstruct identity or voice. But it does point to a future where most “original” content will be AI-assisted by default.

A Creator Tool With Mass Appeal

The launch is deliberately frictionless. Upload a video, pick a prompt, and the system generates an edited version that can be shared directly to Facebook, Instagram or Meta’s Discover feed. No technical skills required.

While accessible to everyday users, Meta has built this with creators in mind. According to the company, prompt development involved input from creators to ensure the effects matched current trends and audience expectations.

That design choice matters. It suggests Meta isn’t just experimenting with AI in the background. It is actively testing what a post-AI content ecosystem looks like, where creative input is guided by prompt libraries and visual templates instead of raw footage.

Free for Now, But Monetisation Is Coming

As with many AI features, access to Restyle is currently free. But not indefinitely. Instagram chief Adam Mosseri has previously noted that Edits may move to a paid model, and Meta’s own messaging now frames the current access window as “free for a limited time”.

This tracks with the company’s broader strategy around AI. Make tools widely available to seed usage, then shift to monetisation once user behaviour normalises around them. Whether that means a standalone subscription, in-app purchases or bundled tiers remains to be seen. Expect pricing to align with Meta’s push to diversify revenue beyond ads.

For brands and creators building audiences on Meta platforms, now is the time to test how these tools fit into production workflows before they go behind a paywall.

How Brands Can Use Restyle

For brands, Restyle offers a fast and accessible way to experiment with AI-enhanced content directly inside Meta’s ecosystem. The preset prompts allow marketers to remix existing assets or user-generated content into visually distinct formats. This is ideal for seasonal campaigns, cultural moments or simply cutting through the noise with something unexpected. It’s also a low-lift way to inject visual flair into organic posts without the need for traditional production resources.

Beyond owned content, Restyle opens new creative territory for influencer partnerships and real-time trend participation. Brands can brief creators to use specific prompts that align with campaign themes or jump on trending visual styles with branded takes. As AI-generated aesthetics become more common in feeds, the brands that lean in early will be better positioned to build relevance and visual recall within this evolving creative landscape.

Strategic Context: Meta’s AI Pipeline

Restyle didn’t appear overnight. It is built on top of Meta’s broader AI research stack, including projects like Make-A-Scene, Llama Image and Movie Gen. The latter, in particular, is a multimodal model capable of generating and editing video and audio based on simple instructions.

Restyle is the first visible consumer application of that stack. It turns high-concept R&D into something shareable, engaging and potentially habit-forming.

It also offers a glimpse into how Meta might reposition itself in a future where content is less about documentation and more about stylisation. If Stories made everyone a short-form creator, and Reels made everyone a performer, AI tools like Restyle may turn everyone into a director.

What Comes Next

Later this year, Meta plans to roll out text-based editing, allowing users to generate video transformations using their own custom prompts. This shift, from preset to personalised, is where things could really scale. Once users are no longer bound to curated effects, content will become more unpredictable, more personalised and potentially more engaging.

It’s also likely that we’ll see these AI tools integrated deeper into Reels and Stories, with editing prompts tied to trending audio or challenges. The TikTok-style flywheel of discovery, creation and remixing becomes even more powerful when users can alter visual style as easily as adding a caption.

Final Word

Restyle is an early, polished look at how generative AI could reshape everyday content creation. It’s fun and user-friendly, but it’s also a product of serious AI research and long-term strategic planning.

For marketers, the message is clear. AI-powered creativity is no longer on the horizon. It is now a native part of Meta’s platform strategy. Brands that adapt early will be best positioned to stand out in a feed full of AI-enhanced content.