Meta is ending support for custom face filters in its apps

Meta is shutting down all third-party face filters and AR effects on Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger, along with the tools used to create them, on January 14th, 2025. This includes any created by brands and other third parties. Meta's own AR effects will continue to operate. The Meta Spark platform is used to create face filters and AR games and ads. Videos that have used Spark-based AR effects will stay up on Facebook, Instagram, and in messages sent over Messenger. Meta introduced its AR tools in 2017 as an answer to AR features Snapchat already had. The change has not gone unnoticed by the platform's creators, with complaints on Facebook's Meta Spark Community. Meta is still committed to AR, through its "long-term investments in new computing platforms that will bring us beyond today's 2D experiences on mobile." Part of that involves "shifting resources" to other experiences, such as glasses. Users can save AR effects they've made with Meta Spark by following the instructions provided in the FAQ.