MeituPic, more commonly known simply as Meitu (Chinese: 美图秀秀, Meitu Xiu Xiu), is a powerful, all-in-one photo and video editing application developed by the Chinese technology company Meitu, Inc. Founded in 2008 in Xiamen, China, the company has grown into an AI-driven giant that centers on the concept of “beauty” through technology.
The Meitu app was initially released as a PC application in 2008, with its mobile version launching in 2011, quickly making it one of the first must-have apps for photo editing, especially in Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. It gained significant global traction, particularly around 2017, due to its viral “kawaii” (cute anime-style) makeover filters that transformed portraits into cartoon-like illustrations, driving millions of activations outside of Asia.
The app’s core function is to provide an incredibly user-friendly yet feature-rich platform for enhancing and beautifying images and videos. Meitu offers a vast array of tools, including over 200 original filters and effects, collage builders, and classic editing features like cropping and color adjustment. However, its most popular and defining features fall under the Beauty Retouch category, which leverages sophisticated Artificial Intelligence (AI) to automatically or manually refine portraits.
These tools allow users to instantly smooth and whiten skin, remove blemishes, apply virtual makeup, perform facial and body reshaping (like making subjects slimmer or taller), and enlarge/brighten eyes, all with just a few taps. Meitu, Inc. has continued to invest heavily in AI, expanding its capabilities to include AI art effects, smart object removal, and advanced video retouching, allowing users to effortlessly create professional-looking multimedia content.
Meitu operates on a freemium model, offering most basic features for free while providing access to over a thousand exclusive materials, premium tools (like teeth correction and wrinkle removal), and an ad-free experience through a Meitu VIP subscription. Despite occasional controversies regarding the extensive permissions requested by the app, Meitu Inc.
has maintained a massive global user base, with hundreds of millions of monthly active users worldwide. The company has successfully evolved from a simple selfie editor into a comprehensive visual content creation suite, cementing its position as a leading force in the digital imaging industry and a major player in the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since its IPO in 2016.
