What is Pikaffects?
“Turn any photo into a viral opportunity with one tap. Pikaffects lets you upload an image, and squish it, melt it, cake-if it, and more.”
Pikaffects are preset effects: you don’t write a prompt, you pick an effect. Pika’s Help Center also covers them under “How do I use Pikaffects like exploding or melting?”
Sources: Pikaffects and Pika Help Center.
How to use Pikaffects
- Open Pikaffects and sign in.
- Upload a photo.
- Pick an effect, such as Squish, Melt or Cake-ify.
- Check the credit cost, then generate.
- Watch the result, try another effect on the same photo, and download your favourite.
Types of effects
Pika’s API catalog lists 62 image effects and 9 video effects. The app may show a different or updated set. A selection, grouped by us:
| Type | Effects |
|---|---|
| Squash and stretch | Squish, Crush, Inflate, Deflate, Poke, Balloonify it |
| Break and transform | Melt, Explode, Dissolve, Crumble, Peel, Tear, Cake-ify |
| Magic | Levitate, Ta-da, Magic Polaroid, Tarot Transform, Make it Real |
| “Me” makeovers | Baby Me, Hero Me, Princess Me, Royal Me, Fairytale Me, 90s Me, Lo-Fi Me, Museum Me |
| Love | Crazy in Love, Cupid Strike, Hearts Bouquet, Love Bomb, Proposal, Rose |
| Cute and crafty | Everythings Bonsai, Yarn Charm, Choco Me, Puppy Me |
| Video effects | Anime Cat, Cute Shroom, Duplicate it, Happy Asteroid, Its Alive, Pink Hair, Wizard Cat |
Photos that work best
- One clear subject: a single object, pet or person, not a crowd.
- Plain background so the effect is easy to see.
- Good light and sharp focus.
- Objects for physical effects: cups, shoes, fruit and toys look great squished, melted or turned into cake.
- Faces for “Me” effects: front-facing, well lit, and only with the person’s consent.
- Vertical photos if you’re posting to Reels, TikTok or Shorts.
Examples: four popular effects
1 · Squish
A soft toy or fruit squashed flat like dough.
2 · Melt
An ice-cream-style meltdown of an object.
3 · Cake-ify
The object is sliced to reveal it was cake all along.
4 · Inflate
The subject puffs up like a balloon.
Ideas for using Pikaffects
Product teasers
Cake-ify or squish your product for a scroll-stopping post.
Social trends
Quick, loopable clips made for sharing.
Greetings
Love effects for birthdays and Valentine’s messages.
Pet content
Squish or inflate a pet photo for a laugh.
Reveal openers
Use Ta-da or Explode as an intro before your real video.
Memes
Pair an effect with a caption for instant humour.
Add sound with Pika Soundtrack or Pika SFX. Posting tips: Instagram Reels.
Pikaffects on the Pika API
| Pikaffects (Image) | Pikaffects (Video) | |
|---|---|---|
| Description | “Apply a named preset effect to an image.” | “Apply a named preset effect to a video.” |
| Endpoint | /v1/media/pika/pikaffects/image-to-video | /v1/media/pika/pikaffects/video-to-video |
| Inputs | pikaffect (effect name), image, optional seed | pikaffect, video, optional seed |
| Price | $0.05 per request | $0.05 per request |
Setup: Pika API guide · API Club pricing.
Rights and responsible use
- People’s photos: Pika’s Acceptable Use Policy says not to submit “likenesses of real individuals without their express consent.” Ask before applying effects to friends’ photos.
- Brands and characters: only use logos, products and characters you have rights to.
- Commercial use: Pika lists a commercial license on Creator, Fancy and Enterprise plans.
Pikaffects FAQs
What are Pikaffects?
Preset effects that turn a photo into a short video: Pika says you can “squish it, melt it, cake-if it, and more.”
Do I need to write a prompt?
No. You upload a photo and pick an effect.
How many effects are there?
Pika’s API catalog lists 62 image effects and 9 video effects; the app shows the current set.
Can I use Pikaffects on videos?
The app page describes uploading an image. The Pika API also offers a video version with its own effects.
Is this the official Pika website?
No. pikaais.com is an independent informational guide.
Squish something today
Take a photo of a mug, a shoe or a piece of fruit on a plain table and try three effects.
Open Pikaffects ↗Next: Templates · Pika Soundtrack · All Pika apps
Sources: Pika Pikaffects, Pika Help Center, Pika API catalog, Pika pricing and Pika Acceptable Use Policy, checked September 25, 2026. Images: Pika. Groupings, ideas and tips are our own.