How to Use an AI Filter on TikTok

AI filters have become one of the fastest ways to create viral content on TikTok, transforming your regular videos into everything from 90s yearbook photos to stunning manga art. These aren't just simple overlays, they use powerful technology to generate entirely new visuals that stop scrollers in their tracks. This guide will show you exactly how to find these popular effects, use them to create your own head-turning videos, and apply simple strategies to capitalize on trends.

What Makes an AI Filter Different?

Unlike standard TikTok filters that might add freckles, change your eye color, or put a funny hat on your head, AI filters fundamentally alter or generate new imagery. They use a type of artificial intelligence called generative AI, which has been trained on massive datasets of images and text. When you use one, you're not just applying a layer over your video - you're feeding your input (your face, a photo, a prompt) into a complex model that creates something entirely new in a specific style.

Think about the big trends:

• AI Yearbook: This filter doesn't just put a filter on your selfie. It analyzes your facial features and generates brand new portraits of you styled as a 90s jock, cheerleader, or poet.
• AI Manga: This effect doesn't just cartoonify you. It creates an anime-style drawing based on your face and expressions, completely re-interpreting you in that art form.
• AI Paintings: Many of these filters ask you to type a text prompt, and the AI generates an image or a styled version of your photo based on your words, turning you into a classical painting or a sci-fi character.

The magic is in the generation. It's what makes the results so surprising, shareable, and often, hilariously unpredictable, which is perfect fuel for viral content.

Where to Find Trending AI Filters on TikTok

Knowing where to look for AI filters is the first step. Luckily, TikTok makes it pretty easy to find them once you know the right spots. Here are the three most common methods.

Method 1: The 'Effects' Gallery

The Effects gallery is TikTok's library of every filter and effect on the platform. If you want to browse for inspiration or search for a specific type of filter, this is your best option.

1. Open the TikTok app and tap the plus icon (+) at the bottom center of the screen to start a new video.
2. On the bottom-left of the camera screen, tap the 'Effects' button.
3. The Effects gallery will pop up. You can swipe through categories like 'Trending,' 'New,' and 'Favorites.' Many AI filters are found in the 'AI' or a dedicated trending tab.
4. You can also use the search icon (a magnifying glass) within the Effects panel. Try searching for terms like "AI," "AI photo," or "AI expand" to see what's available.

Once you find one you like, just tap it to apply it to your camera feed.

Method 2: From Another Creator's Video

This is by far the most organic and common way to find a filter that's actively trending. As you're scrolling through your "For You" Page (FYP), you'll inevitably see someone using a new, popular AI effect.

1. When you find a video using a filter you want to try, look just above the creator's username in the bottom-left corner. You'll see a small yellow icon and the name of the effect (e.g., ✨ AI Manga).
2. Tap on the effect name.
3. This will take you to the official page for that effect. Here, you can see a grid of all the other popular videos that creators have made with it - a great way to get ideas.
4. At the bottom of this page, tap the red button that says 'Use this effect.' It will immediately open your camera with the filter ready to go.

Method 3: Searching Directly for Trends

If you're hearing about a new AI trend on another social platform or from a friend, you can also search for it directly.

1. From your FYP, tap the search icon in the top-right corner of the screen.
2. Type in a description of the trend, like "AI 90s yearbook filter" or "AI art trend."
3. TikTok's search results will show you popular videos using that trend. From there, you can find the effect link directly on one of the videos, just as described in Method 2.

How to Use an AI Filter: A Step-by-Step Guide

You've found the perfect filter - now it's time to create. While every filter behaves slightly differently, most AI filters follow a similar process.

1. Select the Effect. Choose your AI filter from the Effects gallery or tap "Use this effect" on someone else's video to open your camera.
2. Follow the On-Screen Instructions. This is the most important step for AI filters. Many are not automatic and require you to perform a specific action. For example:
   • Some filters require you to upload one or more photos from your camera roll.
   • Others might ask you to tap the screen to start the generation process.
   • A few may require you to nod, blink, or open your mouth to trigger the effect. Read the text prompts on the screen carefully.
3. Record Your Video. Once the filter is running, it's time to record. The most common format is filming your reaction to the AI generation. Let the filter do its work and capture your real-time response to the big reveal. Alternatively, if the filter creates a series of images (like the AI Yearbook), you can use TikTok's template features to create a slide show.
4. Edit and Enhance. Add music or a trending sound - this is essential for reach. Add text overlays to provide context or tell a story (e.g., "Trying the AI art filter on my dog"). Trim the clip to get the timing just right.
5. Craft a Great Caption and Add Hashtags. Your caption can add to the comedy or story. Be sure to include relevant hashtags. At a minimum, include the hashtag for the effect itself (like #aiyearbook) and a more general one (#aifilter).
6. Post Your Video. Send it out and see how people react!

Strategies for Creating Viral Content with AI Filters

Using the filter is easy, but making a video people actually watch and share takes a bit of strategy. Here are a few proven tips to help your AI videos get more traction.

Jump on Trends Early

The lifespan of a TikTok trend can be short. The creators who adopt a new filter right when it starts gaining momentum often see the biggest boost in views. If you see a new filter pop up on your FYP from multiple creators in a short period, it's a sign that you should try it out soon before the trend becomes oversaturated.

Use Trending Audio

Videos on TikTok live and die by their audio. Pairing a trending filter with a trending sound is a recipe for success. When you find a filter, spend a moment looking at the sounds used in the top videos on the effect's page. Using one of those popular sounds signals to the algorithm that your content is relevant to the current conversation.

Tell a Story or Show a Reaction

The best AI filter videos aren't just a lifeless demonstration of the effect. They contain an element of humanity. The two easiest ways to do this are:

• Reaction Videos: This is the classic format. Film yourself looking normal, let the filter take a moment to generate, and then capture your genuine, unfiltered reaction to the result - whether it's shock, laughter, or disappointment.
• Comparison/Storytelling: Create a narrative. For the AI Yearbook trend, thousands of users made videos comparing their AI results to their actual awkward high school photos. This 'Expectation vs. Reality' format is highly relatable and engaging.

Use an Engaging Hook

You need to give viewers a reason to stick around for the reveal. A popular format is the "bait and hook." Start your video with a simple text overlay like, "Was nervous to try this new AI filter..." or "Let's see what the Manga AI filter does to my cat." This poses a question in the viewer's mind, making them curious to see the outcome. Time the reveal with a beat drop in the music for maximum impact.

Popular AI Filter Trends to Inspire You

Need some ideas? Here are a few massive AI trends from the past that show what makes a filter stick.

The "AI Yearbook" Filter

This trend exploded because it tapped into pure nostalgia. It digitally transported users to a 90s high school, generating incredibly detailed and often hilarious alter egos. Its shareability was off the charts because people immediately wanted to share their results on other platforms and in group chats, pulling more people into the trend.

The "AI Manga" Filter

This one went viral thanks to its stunning and dramatic transformations. The 'wow' factor of seeing yourself instantly re-drawn as a high-quality manga character was huge. Artists also jumped on this trend, using it as a creative prompt or to reimagine their own original characters.

The "AI Mirror" or "AI Painting" Filters

These filters turn photos or video clips into different art styles, like a renaissance painting, a sketch, or a sci-fi portrait. Their success comes from the sheer variety of outcomes. A single photo could generate dozens of different interpretations, making users return to the filter again and again to see what else it could create.

Final Thoughts

AI filters offer a fantastic opportunity to create captivating, low-effort content that aligns perfectly with TikTok's trend-driven culture. By finding effects on your FYP or in the effects gallery, understanding how to follow their unique prompts, and combining them with trending sounds and storytelling formats, you can easily join in on viral conversations.

Of course, creating viral-worthy TikToks is just one piece of the social media puzzle. Once you've crafted a video you're proud of, figuring out how to schedule it alongside your content for Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and other platforms can feel like a totally separate challenge. We built Postbase to eliminate that chaos. It's a clean, modern social media tool designed for the video-first world we live in now, so you can plan and schedule all your content in one visual calendar and trust that it will publish reliably, without the frustrating glitches of older, clunkier tools.