I’ve been playing around with photo editing for years and I have to say. This new tool from Meta is something different. It’s called Meta Segment Anything Model 3 or just SAM 3. And honestly, it makes finding and selecting things in pictures so much easier than before.
Let me explain what this is and why you might want to try it.
Table of Contents
What Is SAM 3?
SAM 3 is a smart tool that Meta built to help you pick out objects in photos and videos. You know how sometimes you want to find all the cats in a picture or maybe grab every red car in a video? That’s exactly what SAM 3 does.
The cool part is you don’t need to be a pro. You just tell it what you’re looking for using normal words or you can click on something and it finds more like it. It works fast and handles both pictures and videos.
Why I Think This Matters
Here’s the thing. Right now if you want to select stuff in a photo. You have to click around forever or use complicated programs. SAM- 3 changes all that in second.
Say you run a small shop online and you have tons of product photos. You need to tag everything that’s blue. Instead of going through each photo one by one, you just type “blue items” and SAM 3 finds them all in seconds.
Or maybe you’re making a video and want to blur faces or remove certain things. SAM-3 can pick them out for you automatically. No more going through every single frame.
How Does Segment Anything Model 3 Work?
It gives you three easy ways to use it.
Just type what you want. Use normal everyday words. Things like “dogs wearing hats” or “green cars” or “people sitting down.” SAM 3 understands and finds everything that matches.
Show it an example. Upload a small picture of what you’re looking for, or cut out a piece from your photo. SAM 3 will look for similar things everywhere in your image or video.
Click on things. Point your mouse at what you want. SAM 3 figures out what you clicked and finds more of the same.
You can mix these methods too. Type something first, then click to be more specific. It’s really flexible and lets you work the way that feels natural to you.
Meta trained this tool on more than 214,000 different types of objects. That’s why it knows what so many things are, even unusual stuff you might ask for.
Who Should Use This?
Pretty much anyone who deals with pictures or videos.
If you make content, this saves you hours. Remove backgrounds, pick out objects, make quick edits. All the boring stuff gets done faster so you can focus on the creative parts.
If you sell stuff online, you can tag your product photos without doing it by hand. Find all items in a certain color or style instantly.
If you’re in school, you can label images for projects way faster than the old methods.
If you work on a team, you can organize huge photo libraries and find what you need without searching forever.
Even if you just have family photos and want to find all the ones with your pet in them, SAM 3 makes that simple.
How to Get Access
Meta is rolling this out slowly right now. Here’s what to do.
Go to https://ai.meta.com/sam3/ and look for the signup form. Put in your email address. Meta will send you an invite when they’re ready to give you access.
Once you get your invite, you can use SAM 3 through something called the Segment Anything Playground. That’s Meta’s online tool where you upload your images and videos and try everything out.
If you build apps or websites and want to add SAM 3 to your own projects, there’s going to be an API for that too. More details are coming soon.
What It Costs
Most people won’t pay anything.
If you’re using SAM 3 for personal stuff, school projects or just testing it. It’s free.
For big businesses or people who want to use it at a large scale. Meta will have paid options. They haven’t said what those prices are yet. But if you sign up on the website, they’ll email you when those details are ready.
How SAM 3 Is Different
Meta had older versions before this. SAM 3 is way better. Here’s why.
It finds everything at once. The old versions could only grab one object at a time. SAM 3 can find all the objects that match what you ask for, even if there are hundreds.
You can use words now. Before, you could only click and draw boxes. Now you just type.
It’s so much faster. SAM 3 handles images with tons of objects and still gives you answers in less than a second.
It handles video properly. The previous versions were mostly for photos. SAM 3 works just as well on video.
Real Ways You Can Use This
Let me give you some actual examples.
You took a bunch of vacation photos. You want every picture that has the ocean in it. Just type “ocean” and SAM 3 shows them all.
You’re editing a YouTube video and need to hide license plates. Click on one plate and SAM 3 finds all the others in your video automatically.
You run an online clothing store with thousands of photos. Someone wants to see “striped shirts.” SAM 3 pulls them up right away instead of you looking through everything.
You’re working on a school project about birds and need to mark all the birds in a photo. SAM 3 selects them all at once.
Quick Answers
Do I need coding skills?
No. If you can type and use a mouse, you’re good.
Does it work with any photo or video?
Yes. It handles most normal formats.
Can I use it on my phone?
Eventually yes. Right now start with the web version and mobile should come later.
Is my stuff private?
Meta follows normal privacy rules. Check their terms when you sign up to see how they handle your uploads.
What if it doesn’t find what I want?
Try different words or click on an example to help it understand better. The more guidance you give it, the smarter it gets.
Simple Comparison SAM 2 vs SAM 3
| What You Need | Old Way | With SAM 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Find red cars | Click each one yourself | Type “red cars” |
| Remove backgrounds | Use hard editing software | One click, done |
| Tag 100 products | Look at every photo | Get instant results |
| Edit video objects | Go frame by frame | Let SAM 3 track them |
Should You Try It?
If you work with photos or videos at all, I’d say yes. SAM 3 saves time and makes annoying tasks really simple.
The best thing about it is that it’s built for regular people, not just tech experts. You don’t need training or expensive software. Just sign up, wait for your invite and start using it when you get in.
Meta designed SAM 3 to handle the boring, repetitive stuff so you can spend time on what actually matters. Whether you’re running a business, making videos or just organizing your personal photos, this tool makes life easier.
Go to https://ai.meta.com/sam3/ and add your name to the list. When it’s your turn, you’ll get an email with everything you need.
Bottom Line
Meta Segment Anything Model 3 lets you find and select anything in photos or videos by describing it in plain English. It’s free for most people, easy to use, and honestly saves a ton of time. Sign up now so you’re ready when it fully launches.
