Meta will shut down all third-party face filters and augmented reality effects on facebook, instagram and Messenger, along with the tools used to create them, on January 14, 2025. That includes all those created by brands and other third parties, the company said. wrote in a blog post Today, however, Meta's AR effects will continue to work.
The Meta Spark platform is used to create face filters like the ones you would see on Snapchat or TikTok that make you look old or reimagine you as a cartoon character, as well as Augmented reality games and ads. Any videos that have used Spark-based AR effects will remain on facebook, instagram, and in messages sent through Messenger, the company says in its Frequently asked questions about the change.
Meta writes that it remains committed to augmented reality, through its “long-term investments in new computing platforms that will take us beyond current 2D experiences on mobile devices.” Part of that involves “diverting resources” to other experiences, such as glasses. (It is expected to show off its Orion augmented reality glasses prototype at Meta Connect.)
Anyone who wants to save AR effects they've created with Meta Spark can do so by following these instructions, copied from the Meta FAQ:
To download an AR effect file:
To download a demo video:
