The app processes your images to create a series of avatars that look as if they have been hand-drawn by a real-life artist (at least, in theory). Lensa also includes other photo editing tools, including the option to change your background, remove objects and erase blemishes on photos. If you want to download your own set of magic avatars, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know – including the steps involved, how much it costs and what you should know about how Lensa uses your data: you may want to think twice before using it, or letting your kids use it.

How to generate AI magic avatars on Lensa

Can you get the Lensa magic avatars for free?

Sadly, no. Whilst the subscription offers a free seven-day trial for new users, you will still have to pay at least $1.99/£1.99 for the avatars. Make sure you don’t pay more than you need to by cancelling your free trial before you are billed for a subscription. You can do this by tapping on the settings cog wheel on the top left-hand side of the app, and then selecting ‘Manage plan’. If you’re looking for a free alternative and you don’t mind something that uses one specific image rather than numerous, then Prisma is one to consider. Whilst it will encourage you to pay, you can just ignore the prompts. This is available on iOS and Android.

Is it safe to use the Lensa app?

There have been some safety concerns over Lensa, specifically how it stores and uses your data. Your face is a form of biometric data, like a fingerprint. And allowing an app to have multiple photos of it can be a risky business. This is what you should know. As always, it’s worth reading the privacy policy and terms of use in full. No-one ever wants to do that, but unless you do, you won’t know what what an app might do with any data you share with it. Wired emailed the CEO and cofounder of Prisma Labs, Andrey Usoltsev, who provided the following statement on storing images of its users: Of course, there is no way to know for sure how the data is being stored without an independent organisation verifying it. Otherwise you have to take the company’s word for it that it does what it says. Second, keep in mind that it isn’t just your face that you are allowing the app to access. You have to sign up using your Apple or Google account, so the app could have access to your email address, name, age and possibly more. We spoke to Jake Moore, Global Cybersecurity Advisor at ESET to get an independent take on it: Third, the app advises that you should not upload pictures of children, nor should you upload anything explicit. By using Lensa, users will be granting permission to release ownership of the generated photo which will be placed in a database along with other potentially identifiable information such as the user’s IP address and their cookies from the device. This invasive collection of data can be used to refine their algorithms so they can learn a great deal about their users and their corresponding habits. This personal data is often used to micro target users with adverts but it can also become an interesting target for threat actors wanting to get their hands on sensitive and personally identifiable information. Sophia Smith-Galer reported that there have been instances where users, particularly women, have had images generated that are hypersexualised, even when the images uploaded are pictures of the users showing no skin below the neck. If you have already signed up and are concerned with the possibility of the company retaining any data relating to you, then you can email privacy@lensa-ai.com. Those using the iOS version of Lensa on an iPhone can opt out in the privacy settings within the app. You can also delete any photos you’ve taken within the app settings, but you may also want to delete them from your camera roll and any cloud storage services that the roll automatically backs up to.

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Hannah Cowton is a Senior Staff Writer at Tech Advisor and Macworld, working across entertainment, consumer technology and lifestyle. Her interests and specialities lie in streaming services, film and television reviews and rumours, gaming, wearables and smart home products. She’s also the creator of The London Geek, a geek culture and lifestyle blog.