eta platforms announced that they would shut down their augmented reality studio, which is used by third-party creators to make custom Instagram and
Facebook effects. Meta social media giant stated Tuesday that they are planning to focus on other areas such as Artificial Intelligence, which is rapidly developing.
Originally launched in 2017, this feature, called Meta Spark, will be removed on 14 January next year and all third-party effects, computer-generated filters, masks and 3D objects that were created in the studio will be removed as well.
Meta stated that first-party AR effects will continue to be available on products such as Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger.
“Meta will continue to support Meta Spark and third-party effects until January 14, 2025. Any campaigns using AR effects that start and end before this date should not be impacted. Please note third-party effects will no longer be available after January 14, 2025, which will impact any campaigns using third-party AR effects beyond that date.” Meta stated in the announcement.
Due to the accelerated expansion of AI features, Meta has prioritized investments in Artificial Intelligence products and metaverse which is a virtual environment that is expected to be the successor to the mobile internet.
In a blog, the social media company stated "With the decision to shut down the Meta Spark platform, we're also shifting resources to the next generation of experiences, across new form factors like glasses,".
After these announcements, third-party creators communicated their disappointment and tried to find some alternatives on Facebook communities and groups. "I wonder how many people will migrate to Snapchat Lens Studio or Unity now that Meta Spark is being sunset?", a user stated in a Facebook group post.
As a response to Meta, their smaller rival Snap which has the Snapchat product, offers Lens Studio, a free AR creation platform that provides the opportunity for developers to create custom augmented reality effects.
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Back in May of this year, Meta announced that they would discontinue their work-focused Workplace app for customers starting in June 2026. This app will still be available to use as the company’s internal messaging board.
The social media platform also stated Tuesday that the existing reels and stories that used third-party augmented reality effects will not be removed and users will still be able to use them but the AR effects and every file from Meta Spark studio and Meta Spark Hub could not be accessed anymore.
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