One other week, one other AI app going viral. This time around, the AI app that has surged to the highest of the App Store is EPIK, an photo editing app that lets users generate nostalgic, 90s-inspired “yearbook” photos of themselves as one in all its many templates. Just like other recently popular AI apps, EPIK works by having users first upload a series of selfies which EPIK then uses to generate the throwback yearbook photos featuring the user in several poses, with different looks and hairstyles.

The app hails from South Korea-based Snow Corporation, a Naver subsidiary, which also makes the AI profile app Snow. In recent weeks, EPIK has gained traction on the App Store as influencers from world wide began sharing their AI-generated photos across social media.

On the U.S. App Store, EPIK is now No. 1, though it’s not quite as popular on Google Play at No. 37.

In line with data from market intelligence firm Apptopia, EPIK has seen a complete of 92.3 million lifetime installs since its August 2021 debut, including 4.7 million downloads within the U.S. Nevertheless, the app began to realize traction on September nineteenth after which popped much more 10 days later, the firm says.

Currently, EPIK’s largest market is India, by downloads, and the U.S. is number 6.

One other firm, data.ai, sees barely lower lifetime downloads at 82 million and notes the app has generated near $7 million in consumer spending on iOS. That is the primary time it’s ever ranked in Top Overall apps within the U.S., data.ai also notes.

Snow Corp. didn’t return a request for comment to confirm these figures.

Scrolling the #epik hashtag on Instagram reveals a lot of larger accounts have been joining within the trend of posting their AI yearbook photos, including beauty influencers like Samantha Batallanos (254K followers) and Bretman Rock (18.8M followers), actor and rapper Tim Chantarangsu (1.5M followers), fashion model Eva Mikulski (481K followers) video creators like Denyzee (526K followers), Missou (507K followers), Romy (1.5M followers), Liz Rangel (1.5M follower) and Hila Klein (1M followers), Twitch streamer Pokimane (6M followers), and lots of others — including influencers from the app’s home country and elsewhere on the earth.

Image Credits: Pokimane on Instagram

To make use of EPIK’s Yearbook feature, users upload 8-12 selfie images that are then used to create the AI photos.

The app warns users that EPIK’s AI is continuously learning to enhance its results and never all of the AI results shall be “satisfactory.” If you happen to proceed, it says, “you shall be deemed to have agreed to the final result,” the message states.

The app also suggests that users submit clear photos with a various range of expressions, angles, and backgrounds. After the app processes the photos it outputs 60 different images. While the app itself is a free download, users do should pay for the AI output. They may also decide to pay to have the photographs generated more quickly — standard delivery ($3.99) has wait times of as much as 24 hours, while express delivery ($5.99) offers photos in under two hours.

Image Credits: EPIK

Unfortunatley for EPIK, the app has turn into so popular it could actually’t sustain with demand. If you happen to try to make use of the Yearbook feature now, the app may say it’s being delayed “as we’re experiencing a rapid increase in users using the service. We apologize for the inconvenience. Please try again later.” Even in case you get through the selfie upload process, the app may inform you the delivery options are “sold out” and to try again later.

Image Credits: EPIK

EPIK is just not the primary AI photo app to go viral for a clever feature that generates outsized attention. It follows other viral hits like Lensa, which offered AI-generated “magic avatars” and Remini, which hit the highest of the App Store this summer for its professional-looking AI headshots. But most of the AI photo apps aren’t able to keep up traction after their quarter-hour of fame wears off. A report from Apptopia released earlier this yr found that the initial group of AI photo editors that began taking off last winter, had already lost consumer interest.

For EPIK, meaning its recent high status may ultimately be one other flash within the pan as users move on to the subsequent AI trend.