Amid all the hype around ChatGPT, Gemini, and Deepseek, Meta AI often flies under the radar. Despite being integrated into Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, it’s like that classmate who’s been around all year but only gets noticed in the yearbook. Now, Meta has finally released a standalone Meta AI app. Read on to explore what it offers, its features, and the overall experience.
What is Meta AI App?
The Meta AI app is a standalone application developed by Meta for interacting with its AI-powered chatbot. Users can engage with the large language model either through voice commands or by typing their queries. Built on Meta’s Llama 4 model, the app delivers fast, personalized, and natural-sounding responses.
It offers a more tailored and direct experience by requiring users to sign in with their Facebook or Instagram accounts. This integration allows Meta AI to process user data and provide results that better align with individual preferences.
Meta AI App: Features and Availability
The Meta AI app lets you have one-on-one voice conversations with Meta AI, delivering real-time responses. Powered by the Llama 4 voice model, it supports full duplex mode, enabling more natural and fluid interactions. However, these voice features are currently limited to users in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
In addition to voice interactions, you can also engage in text chats with Meta AI. The app provides prompt suggestions and can answer questions about recent events, as it has the ability to search the web. For example, when I asked about Pope Francis, it retrieved real-time news about his recent passing, complete with sources. It’s a useful feature, but not necessarily groundbreaking.
Meta AI can also generate images on demand and assist with editing existing ones. You can request changes via text or voice prompts.I experimented with generating random images, such as one of Kratos from God of War taking a selfie, or turning my own selfie into a Ghibli art style. It’s a fun and creative feature!
The app also acts as a companion for Meta Ray-Ban glasses. If you own a pair, you can easily pair them with the app, allowing you to have conversations directly through the glasses, with the responses appearing in the app itself.
Meet Meta AI App’s Discover Feed
One of the standout features of the Meta AI app is its Discover feed. This allows you to share your AI creations with others and explore what they’ve created. Similar to social media platforms, you can like, comment on, and share posts outside the app.
The app also features a Remix option, allowing you to use someone else’s prompt and try it out for yourself. This is a handy addition, as it saves you the time spent searching for the original prompt. With this feature, you can experiment with others’ prompts, and they can do the same with yours.
We could see the Discover feed evolve in the future, with potential additions like a “Follow” button, the ability to easily share your AI creations to Facebook, Instagram, or WhatsApp, and options to filter posts.
Is the Meta AI App Free To Use?
As of now, the Meta AI app is completely free to use, with no charges for any of its features. However, Mark Zuckerberg has expressed interest in limiting some of its more advanced voice-based features to paid subscribers in the future.
This model mirrors that of other AI apps like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot, where basic services are available for free, but more advanced features require a paid subscription. A paid plan would also grant priority requests and faster response times. Additionally, the app will feature personalized ads, marking the first time this will happen in an AI-only app.
Where Else Can I Use Meta AI?
Meta AI is already integrated into some of your favorite social media platforms, and you can try it out for free. It’s available on Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. You can access the AI by tapping the blue circular halo-like icon, which signifies the AI feature.
You can engage in one-on-one chats with the AI assistant on these platforms, and it can generate images just like the app itself. However, you’ll miss out on features like voice conversations, chat history, and the Discover feed.
Overall, the Meta AI app is a good start, but it offers limited functionality if you’re not in the four regions mentioned. The integration of Meta AI into other apps makes me question the necessity of installing the standalone app in the first place.
Most of the features aren’t available in my region, and when they do become available, they’ll likely be integrated into their platform versions as well. While the Discover feed is a nice addition, it may not be enough to keep many users engaged. However, there’s plenty of potential for improvement, and I believe the app could evolve and turn things around over time.
