How to get viral ‘flash' filter on Instagram without AI changing your face?

Instagram has rolled out a new “flash” filter that has taken the internet by storm.

The effect is designed to mimic the digital camera effect, giving photos a high-contrast, vintage digital-camera feel that users highly appreciate.

However, users repeatedly face one significant problem. AI often tweaks facial features, altering how a user naturally appears in the photo.

This is because Flash is an AI-powered filter that uses machine learning to enhance images. While the filter was primarily developed to add lighting effects and contrast, it often adjusts features and subtly reshapes that leave users looking noticeably different in the edited photo.

But it can be fixed in a simple way.

Users mostly edit the photo via the “Restyle” button. Restyle is an AI-powered feature that enables Instagram to automatically apply flash to the photo.

Instead of opting for restyle, search the “effect library.” To do so:

• Tap the effects
• Click the magnifying glass to browse effects
• Search for “Flash” or “Flash III”
• Select the filter and save it
• Post your image and apply a filter

Pro Tip

Always try to apply the filter to darker photos. The filter is designed for low-light images. Therefore, in dark photos, it focuses on brightness and contrast rather than detecting and altering facial features.