Meta tests a standalone app for its Vibes AI video feature

Meta is testing a standalone application for Vibes, its AI-generated video feature, according to a confirmation the company provided to TechCrunch on Thursday. First launched last September, Vibes allows users to create and share short-form AI-generated videos and browse a dedicated feed of AI-generated content. Previously, this feed lived inside the Meta AI assistant application. By spinning Vibes out into its own dedicated space, Meta is positioning the product to compete more directly with Sora, the AI-generated video and social application from OpenAI. The news of the standalone test was first reported by Platformer.

The company decided to test the standalone app after seeing significant engagement with the feature inside its main AI assistant. “Following the strong early traction of Vibes within Meta AI, we are testing a standalone app to build on that momentum,” Meta said in a statement. The company added that users are increasingly using the format to create, discover, and share AI-generated videos with friends, and that a standalone app provides a dedicated, immersive environment for these activities. While Meta does not share specific user numbers, it claims Vibes has performed well and that Meta AI usage has grown steadily since its launch last September.

Within the app, users can generate videos from scratch or remix existing videos from their feed. Before publishing, creators can add new visuals, layer in music, and adjust styles. They can then post the video directly to the Vibes feed, send it via direct message, or cross-post it to Instagram and Facebook Stories and Reels. Meta noted that collaboration and sharing are on the rise, with many Vibes videos being messaged to friends, a behavior the company says mirrors how users interact with Reels.

The move also aligns with Meta’s broader plans to monetize its consumer AI tools. Last week, Meta told TechCrunch that it plans to launch test subscriptions for AI features in the coming months, alongside testing new premium subscriptions on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. For Vibes, Meta plans to offer freemium access—a business model where basic services are free, but advanced features require a subscription. Under this model, users would have the option to subscribe to unlock additional video creation opportunities each month.

Why it matters

Meta is spinning out its AI-generated video feature, Vibes, into a standalone app to compete with OpenAI’s Sora and prepare for future monetization through subscriptions.