Meta’s Muse Image: What It Means for Your Instagram Photos and How to Turn It Off
A simple explanation of what has been confirmed, what has been overstated and how to review your Instagram sharing settings.
Updated July 2026The feature may apply to eligible adult Instagram accounts that are public.
Content from private Instagram accounts is not publicly available through this feature.
Instagram provides sharing and reuse settings that can be reviewed and switched off.
What is Muse Image?
Muse Image is Meta’s AI image-generation model. It allows users to create new images using written prompts.
One of the associated features allows eligible users to reference public Instagram accounts when creating AI-generated images.
The AI creates a new image. It does not simply copy and paste the original Instagram photograph.
Who is affected?
May be included
Eligible public Instagram accounts belonging to adults, including publicly visible posts, Reels and profile content.
Not publicly included
Private Instagram accounts and accounts belonging to users under the age of 18.
What you need to know
- Public Instagram content may be used as reference material when creating an AI-generated image.
- Instagram does not notify you each time someone uses publicly available content through its creation or reuse tools.
- Switching the settings off restricts future use through those reuse controls.
- Changing the setting does not automatically remove an image that may already have been created or saved.
- Photographs of children posted on an adult’s public account may still form part of that publicly visible content.
What is not confirmed
- Meta has not announced that users are permitted to freely create nude or sexually explicit images of real people.
- Meta has not said that other Instagram users gain ownership of your photographs.
- Private Instagram content does not become publicly available simply because Meta has introduced an AI image feature.
How to switch off content reuse on Instagram
The wording may vary slightly depending on your device, app version, account type and location.
Go to Settings
Open Instagram, go to your profile and tap the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner. Then open Settings and activity.
Open Sharing and reuse
Scroll down and select Sharing and reuse.
Find the content reuse section
Go to Allow people to create with and reuse your content.
Switch off Reels and Posts
Turn off both content reuse options.
Turn off original audio reuse
Switch off Allow others to create with and reuse your original audio.
Check that the switches are off
On most versions of Instagram, a grey switch means the setting is turned off.
Cannot find these settings? Update the Instagram app and check again under Settings and activity. The wording may vary slightly depending on your device, app version, account type and location.
Review Your Instagram Settings
If you are a photographer, parent, school, club or organisation that shares images on a public Instagram account, it is worth taking a few minutes to review your sharing and reuse settings to ensure they reflect your preferences.
