SNOW
: How to use it, features, and the business problems it solves
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What is SNOW?
An AR camera and photo-editing app from SNOW Corporation of South Korea (part of the NAVER group), listed in app stores as "SNOW スノー - AIプロフィール". Built on shooting with AR effects and AR makeup plus face and body retouching, it adds AI features such as AI Hair for trying out hairstyles, AI Style for changing the mood of a photo, an AI eraser that removes background photobombers and clothing wrinkles, Smart Beauty that suggests retouching automatically, and a feature that predicts a child's face from two people's photos. It supports Japanese and is free to use on iPhone and Android. SNOW VIP is listed on the Japanese App Store from ¥990/month or ¥3,600/year.
Business problems it solves
About "SNOW"
What is SNOW?
SNOW is an AR camera and photo-editing app from SNOW Corporation of South Korea. Built on AR effects layered over selfies and beauty retouching, it offers AI features such as AI Hair for trying out hairstyles, AI Style for changing the mood of a photo, an AI eraser that removes people and objects caught in the shot, and Smart Beauty, which suggests retouching suited to your skin and features. In the App Store and Google Play, the app is listed as "SNOW スノー - AIプロフィール" (SNOW – AI Profile).
The service launched in September 2015, spread across Asia starting with Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, and passed 100 million users in about a year and a half (SNOW's corporate site). The App Store description calls it "a hugely popular camera app used by 400 million people worldwide." In Japan there is SNOW Japan株式会社, and there are official X, Instagram and YouTube accounts for Japan.
How to use it
- Install the app: Download it free from the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play (Android). You can keep using SNOW for free without buying SNOW VIP
- Shoot with the camera: Choose filters, AR effects and AR makeup, then take the shot. There are also a high-quality mode and quick shooting, and beauty features can be applied to video as well as photos
- Retouch your photos: Finish with face, body and skin retouching. Auto Retouch in the People tab applies five adjustments at once, from face shape to filters
- Transform with AI: Try hairstyles with AI Hair, change a photo's mood with AI Style, or remove background photobombers with the AI eraser
- Share: Upload your edited photos straight to social media
Try new hairstyles and new looks with AI
SNOW's AI features are mostly about turning your photo into "another you" for fun. The App Store description introduces AI Hair as a way to "easily simulate hairstyles" and AI Style as a way to "dramatically change the mood of a photo." New seasonal styles are added to AI Style, and as of October 2026, new Halloween styles are promoted as an App Store event. There is also Child Growth Prediction, which predicts a child's face from two people's photos.
Source: Japanese App Store: SNOW スノー - AIプロフィール (the following images are from the same source)
AI is also used for touching up photos. The AI eraser has been updated to recognize the area to remove more accurately (already announced in the February 2026 version), and the partial eraser gained AI correction that can remove clothing wrinkles, shadows and even moiré (July 2026). Wrinkle removal can automatically detect and remove wrinkles.
Fine-tune your face and body to your liking
The other pillar is beauty retouching. Smart Beauty automatically suggests a style that suits each person, and from there you can fine-tune skin texture, facial balance, under-eye bags and the midface.
Face retouching includes symmetry (already announced in the February 2026 version), and in July 2026 it gained face size, which shrinks only the face while keeping the head shape, plus double-chin correction. Body retouching lets you pick just the person you want to adjust, even in group photos. You can save your favorite adjustments as a face style (Google Play description).
Features
01Transform and erase with AI
Features that redraw photos or remove unwanted things.
- AI Hair — Simulates hairstyles
- AI Style — Changes the mood of a photo, with new seasonal styles added
- Child Growth Prediction — Predicts a child's face from two people's photos
- AI eraser and partial eraser — Removes background photobombers and clothing wrinkles, shadows and moiré
- Image enhancement and high-quality mode — Editing that improves image quality, and a high-quality mode when shooting
02Retouch face and body
Beauty retouching features, which also work on video.
- Smart Beauty — Automatically suggests the best style
- Face retouching — Contour, forehead, midface, philtrum, face line, width, face size, symmetry, double chin and more
- Skin retouching — Skin texture, skin tone, wrinkle removal and one-tap skin smoothing
- Body retouching — Adjusts the full-body silhouette, with person selection in group photos
- Auto Retouch — Five adjustments at once, from face shape to filters
03Shoot and decorate
Features as a camera app.
- Filters and effects — Filters by popular creators, plus seasonal frames and stickers
- AR makeup — Adjust eye makeup, lipstick, blush and lashes while shooting
- Sticker creation — Create your own stickers, and even debut as a creator
- Quick shot — Shoot quickly in sharp quality and check lens information
04Edit and play
- Photo editing — Color correction, mosaic, text (styles and fonts)
- Layout — Collages combining photos and videos in one image
- Games and entertainment — Content such as games you play with your face
Pricing
SNOW is free to download, and the App Store description says "you can continue to use SNOW for free without purchasing SNOW VIP." According to the store listing, the app contains ads and offers in-app purchases.
In-app purchases listed on the Japanese App Store (checked October 30, 2026)
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| SNOW VIP monthly (月間購入) | ¥990 / ¥1,190 |
| SNOW VIP annual (年間購入) | ¥3,600 / ¥3,900 / ¥4,600 |
| 330, 420, 450, 550, 600 (items named by quantity) | ¥360–¥650 |
The App Store list shows several entries for the same SNOW VIP at different prices. Please check which price is offered on the in-app purchase screen. The App Store does not describe what the quantity-named items contain. SNOW's paid service terms define coins used to buy paid services (sometimes shown in the app as 「ジェリー」, "Jelly") and coins granted as a subscription benefit.
Sources: Japanese App Store, SNOW paid service terms
Reputation and privacy
On the Japanese App Store, SNOW is rated 4.5 out of 5 (360,000 ratings) and ranked 24th in the Photo & Video category. On Google Play it is rated 3.7 (1.46 million reviews), has more than 100 million downloads, and is shown as 4th in the top-grossing Photography chart (all checked October 30, 2026).
The App Store privacy label shows, as declared by the developer, that identifiers may be used to track you across other companies' apps and websites, and that user content such as photos and videos may be collected for app functionality. In Google Play's data safety section, the developer declares that no data is shared with third parties, data is encrypted in transit, and you can request deletion. Since this app handles photos, it is worth checking each store's privacy section before installing if you have concerns.
How it differs from other photo-editing apps
SNOW stands out as a camera app for enjoying the act of shooting with AR effects and makeup, with AI features such as AI Hair and AI Style for trying out "another you" added on top. Here is how it compares with apps centered on retouching or redrawing photos you have already taken.
| Product | Strengths | Platforms | Pricing (as listed on each product page) |
|---|---|---|---|
| SNOW | Shooting with AR effects and AR makeup, beauty retouching, AI Hair and AI Style | iPhone, Android | Free to use. SNOW VIP from ¥990/month or ¥3,600/year (Japanese App Store) |
| Meitu | Selfie and portrait retouching (enhancement, skin, slimming and body retouching), eraser, AI image editing | iPhone, iPad, Android | Free to use. Meitu VIP ¥1,190/month, ¥5,400/year, etc. (Japanese App Store) |
| Wink | Video and photo enhancement (HD, 4K), retouching people in video, automatic subtitles | Mobile, web, Mac, Windows | Free on mobile; VIP from ¥1,200/month etc. on the Japanese App Store |
| Remini | Enhancing blurry or old photos, creating portraits from selfies | iOS, Android, web | App is free (with ads). Paid plan prices vary by user |
| Picsart | AI photo editing such as background and object removal, and image and video generation with AI models | iOS, Android, web, Windows | Free to start. Web Pro ¥2,429/month |
| Aragon.ai | Generating professional headshots (profile photos) from selfies | Web | One-time purchase. Basic from $35 |
Other products' prices are as listed on their product pages at the time of checking. Please see each product page and official site for current pricing.
If you want to enjoy effects and makeup while shooting, SNOW is a good fit. If you want detailed retouching or AI redrawing of photos you have taken, compare Meitu; to clean up old or blurry photos, Remini; and if video retouching is your focus, Wink. If you need a profile photo for work, there are dedicated headshot tools such as Aragon.ai.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Q. Can I use SNOW for free? A. Yes. The app is free to download, and you can keep using it for free without buying SNOW VIP. The paid SNOW VIP is listed on the Japanese App Store at ¥990–¥1,190 a month and ¥3,600–¥4,600 a year.
Q. Does it support Japanese? A. Yes. The App Store lists 9 supported languages including Japanese, and the store description is in Japanese. There are also official X, Instagram and YouTube accounts for Japan.
Q. Can I use it on an iPad or computer? A. The App Store shows it as "iPhone only." The Android version is available on Google Play.
Q. Who runs it? A. SNOW Corporation of Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. In Japan there is SNOW Japan株式会社 (Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo). The same company also offers camera apps such as B612, Foodie, SODA, EPIK and LINE Camera.
This page is based on information published on SNOW's official website, corporate site, App Store, Google Play and paid service terms as of October 2026. Please check the in-app screens for the latest specifications and pricing.
