This Viral Filter Is Turning TikTokers’ Dogs Into Cursed Barbies: How To Get It

TikTok is filled with videos showing dogs being transformed into Barbies using the viral ‘Barbie AI Filter,’ and the results are chaotic.

TikTok has been taken over by videos of dogs being transformed into Barbies thanks to a viral filter, to hilarious — and horrifying — results. Barbie trends have dominated social media since the first trailers for the upcoming movie began to drop. From the cheeky marketing materials to meme-able soundbites, Barbie was expertly positioned to become the internet’s darling.

The filter at the heart of the latest Barbie trend on TikTok is actually a template from the platform’s sister app, CapCut. It was originally posted by CapCut user Gerar_r23 under the title ‘Barbie AI Filter.’ When applied, it reimagines the subject of a still image in the style of the iconic doll. The transformation is revealed in a sliding transition, with the newly rendered Barbie taking the place of the photo’s original subject while a remixed audio clip of Ava Max’s “Not Your Barbie Girl” plays. Text overlaid on the resulting video reads, “Me as a Barbie.” While it was clearly meant to be used on humans, TikTok users have discovered it works (chaotically) on pets, too.

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Videos of dogs, cats, and other pets ‘as a Barbie’ are all over TikTok, many of them sure to elicit a strong, 'Thanks, I hate it,' feeling from anyone who stumbles upon them. The filter has been used over 8.2 million times and counting. There are a few ways TikTok users can easily find and use the filter themselves, but those hoping to get in on the trend while it’s hot should know they’ll first need to download CapCut. The app is free, and available for both iOS and Android. The easiest way to get the Barbie AI Filter is by opening it from a video that has used it.

In that case, there will be a button with the CapCut icon that reads, ‘Try this template,’ above where the TikTok user’s name and caption are displayed. Clicking this will redirect to a popup that previews the original effect, and users will see the option, ‘Use Template in CapCut.’ The other option is to open CapCut and search for the filter. Type ‘Barbie AI Filter’ into the search bar and, thanks to its overwhelming popularity, the correct template should come up as the first result. Once users have the template open, they’ll be able to select the intended photo from their phone’s gallery, and view a preview of the Barbie transformation.

When it’s ready, users just need to hit ‘Export’ and follow the next prompts. The video can be exported directly to TikTok, which will open it in TikTok’s video editor for more customization, or it can be downloaded to the camera roll. The free template can be used as many times as users want — either to Barbie-fy themselves, or their pets.

Source: CapCut, TikTok