Snapchat has launched AI Clips in Lens Studio, a new Lens format that converts a single photo into a five-second AI-generated video. The feature is available exclusively to Lens+ subscribers.

How AI Clips Works

AI Clips operates on a closed-prompt system that divides creative control between developers and end users. Developers define the prompt and creative direction when building a Lens, while Snapchatters activate the experience with a single tap. Snap says the design allows a photo to place a subject “on a red carpet or in a surreal moment, creating storytelling that is personal and share-ready.”

The feature is native to the GenAI Suite in Lens Studio, enabling developers to build and publish photo-to-video AI directly to Snapchat without external tools or complex workflows.

Developers enrolled in Lens+ Payouts can earn directly from AI Clips experiences they publish. Snap frames the Lens+ subscriber base as an engaged audience actively seeking premium content, positioning AI Clips as both a creative and commercial opportunity for developers.

Context Within Snap’s AI Roadmap

AI Clips represents the latest addition to Snapchat’s expanding suite of AI video tools. 

In March 2025, Snap introduced its first AI video Lenses for Platinum subscribers, offering predefined animation options, including the Raccoon, Fox, and Spring Flowers Lenses, powered by its proprietary generative video model. 

In December 2025, Snap launched “Animate It,” its first open-prompt video generation Lens, which allows Lens+ subscribers to enter custom text prompts to generate personalized animations. That same month, Snap introduced “Quick Cut,” a tool that assembles beat-synced videos from users’ Memories.

AI Clips differs from “Animate It” in that it uses a closed-prompt rather than an open-prompt design, and requires a photo as input rather than a text description alone.

The Competition

Several other platforms offer photo-to-video AI tools. TikTok’s AI Alive feature animates static photos inside TikTok Stories. Meta AI offers image-to-video generation, where users upload images or use text prompts in the separate Meta AI app to create animated videos suitable for Reels. YouTube Shorts offers an image-to-video AI tool that converts photos from the camera roll into six-second videos using the platform’s generative models.