A $4.5 billion photo app that is huge in China is trending in the US - here's what it does
Meitu/Reuters
Although Meitu has been around since 2008, it has become an overnight success, and was trending on Apple's App Store on Thursday.
Meitu is a lot like other photo-editing apps - it has Bitmoji-style stickers, Instagram-style filters, and Layout-style photo collages.
But the app really shines in its "hand-drawn" mode that is like a Snapchat filter on steroids. The hand-drawn mode slims down jawlines, enlarges eyes, and adds a little bit of sparkle to the whole package.
Basically, it makes you look like a cartoon - and it's these images that are rapidly spreading on social media.
The company behind the app is set to IPO in Hong Kong with a reported valuation of $735 million - which may increase as investors learn that Western audiences like the app too.
Here's what using the app is like:
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