Meta Launches AI Features on Facebook

Meta has rolled out a new suite of AI-powered creative tools on Facebook designed to make user profiles, posts, and Stories more dynamic, expressive, and visually engaging. The update, announced on February 10, 2026, introduces several capabilities that blend artificial intelligence with everyday social interactions on the platform.

Animated Profile Pictures Bring Still Photos to Life

One of the most visible additions is the ability to animate standard profile photos using Meta’s generative AI. Instead of remaining static, profile pictures can now display subtle, looping motion effects that reflect personality, mood, or style.

At launch, users can choose from several presets, including waving, heart shapes, confetti, or fun accessories like virtual party hats, to transform a single still photo into a short, share-worthy animation. Meta says it plans to introduce seasonal and themed animation packs throughout the year.

For best results, users are encouraged to animate a clear, front-facing portrait without distracting background elements. These animations can be shared directly to the Facebook Feed or set as a user’s active profile picture.

AI ‘Restyle’ Tool Transforms Stories and Memories

Facebook is also upgrading its Stories and Memories features with a new tool called Restyle, powered by Meta AI. This tool lets users reimagine the look and feel of images through both preset styles and custom text prompts.

Users can choose from artistic themes such as anime, illustration, glowy, ethereal, and more. They can also adjust lighting, color tones, mood, or even swap backgrounds, for example placing themselves against beach or cityscape scenes, all generated by Meta’s AI models.

In addition to direct styling, Facebook will actively suggest Memories that might benefit from a Restyle edit, encouraging users to revisit and refresh older content in creative ways.

Animated Backgrounds Add Motion to Text Posts

To make simple text posts more visually engaging, Facebook is introducing animated backgrounds for Feed posts. By tapping the new rainbow “A” icon when composing a text update, users can choose from a selection of still or animated scenes, like rolling ocean waves or falling leaves, to enhance their message’s visual appeal. Seasonal and themed background options are also expected to arrive later in the year.

This feature aims to revitalize one of the platform’s oldest content formats by making text posts more expressive and eye-catching without requiring images, GIFs, or videos.

Meta’s Strategic Push to Engage Younger Audiences

Industry observers see these updates as part of Meta’s strategy to keep Facebook relevant to younger users, especially those from Generation Z who increasingly favor creative, shareable visuals and customizable expression tools, formats popularized on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

Despite still boasting more than 2 billion daily active users, Facebook has faced challenges in maintaining engagement among younger demographics in recent years. Introducing playful AI-driven creative tools is one of several steps Meta is taking to refresh the experience and encourage users to express themselves in new and more dynamic ways.

A Gradual Global Rollout

According to Meta, these features began rolling out globally on February 10, 2026, and will appear for users gradually across devices and regions. While the initial focus is on animation and aesthetic stylization, the broader rollout is expected to include additional presets, themes, and tools throughout the year as Meta continues to build out its AI capabilities on Facebook.