Instagram lets users build AI Stories effects, US only for now

Instagram now lets people make AI effects for Stories from a written description. The tool, Effect Builder, runs on the web inside Edits, the company's video-editing app, and for now it is available only in the United States to users 18 and older.

Creators type what they want the effect to look like, test it on their own photos and, if they like the result, submit it for review. Every effect goes through a safety check before anyone else can use it. Instagram does not say how long that takes.

Approved effects show up in the Stories effects browser, along with the creator's Instagram handle and a link to their profile. Anyone can apply one to their own photos with a "Try it" button. Making and publishing effects is free, and the Edits designer who wrote the announcement says no design or coding experience is needed.

Until now, Instagram built effects like these itself. Effect Builder hands that job to users. It follows Restyle, the Meta AI feature from October 2025 that edits Stories photos and videos with text prompts or preset styles.

Nothing changes for Mexican users for now. The announcement names no other countries, sets no usage limits and does not say what photos or data are used to generate the effects. Instagram has not said when it will widen availability.