After ChatGPT swept the Internet with its "Hayao Miyazaki-style paintings", this time, it actually started to colorize old black and white photos ! And the effect is ridiculously good, as if you traveled back to the colorful era in a second. It's everywhere in Moments, Weibo, and Xiaohongshu:
“Grandpa and grandma were so handsome when they were young!”
“The charm of a young lady from the Republic of China seems to be right in front of me!”
So, How can ordinary people quickly get started?
It's super easy! I will teach you step by step.
After ChatGPT swept the Internet with its "Hayao Miyazaki-style paintings", this time, it actually started to colorize old black and white photos ! And the effect is ridiculously good, as if you traveled back to the colorful era in a second. It's everywhere in Moments, Weibo, and Xiaohongshu:
“Grandpa and grandma were so handsome when they were young!”
“The charm of a young lady from the Republic of China seems to be right in front of me!”
So, How can ordinary people quickly get started?
It's super easy! I will teach you step by step.
Why are so many people posting photos of themselves colored with AI?
Because——
It brings up nostalgia (who doesn’t want to see their grandparents when they were young?)
It’s an eye-catching tool on social platforms (post a before-and-after comparison photo of coloring, it’s so easy to get likes)
It instantly raises emotional resonance (history, family, youth...instant travel)
Plus, AI repair is so convenient. You don’t need to know Photoshop or understand complicated software. Everyone can play it!
How to colorize black and white photos with ChatGPT
Basic steps (ChatGPT direct coloring version)
First, head over to ChatGPT's website or mobile app and ensure you’re using the latest version for the best experience.
Next, upload your black and white photo by tapping the plus icon.
Enter the coloring command (Prompt):
"Please colorize this black and white photo in a natural style without oversaturating the colors and keeping the original texture of the photo."Wait a few seconds and the AI will give you a colored version.
Advanced gameplay (more detailed instructions for better results)
If you want a more detailed effect, you can add more specific descriptions, such as:
Specific era (e.g. 1950s, World War II)
Describe the setting (e.g. "a little girl in a light-colored dress in the summer sun")
Required color style (natural retro/fresh modern/micro-movie style)
Recently popular gameplay examples (super new and hot, all over the screen!)
If you want to take advantage of this wave of popularity, you must know these ways of playing :
1. [#Black and White Photo Rebirth Challenge]
How to play:
Upload black and white photos of grandparents and parents when they were young
Color restoration using ChatGPT
The caption tells "the story of their youth"
Post it on social media with the tag #GrandparentsYouthChallenge#Black and White Photo Rebirth
Hot spot: emotional resonance + visual contrast impact
Especially suitable for sharing on Xiaohongshu, Douyin, and Instagram stories
2. [#Travel back to childhood series]
How to play:
Find childhood black and white photos
After coloring, use AI to enlarge and high-definition
Generate a set of "childhood vs present" comparison videos
Hot spot: Growth and touching, nostalgia killer
Very suitable for TikTok short videos, B station growth memory submission
3. 【#Time Travel Image Gallery】
How to play:
Make a video wall of old colored photos in batches
Accompanied by retro background music (such as vinyl record style)
Each picture gradually changes color, enlarges, and rotates
Hot spot: strong visual immersion, easy to make people cry
Suitable for long videos, flash MVs, wedding videos
4. [#ArtistRe-creation Series]
How to play:
Let ChatGPT designate a specific painter style for secondary creation based on coloring
(such as Van Gogh, Monet, Picasso, and Hayao Miyazaki style)Create an artistic derivative version of the black and white photo regeneration album
Hot spot: Art + technology, easy to attract design and literary circles
Instagram and Pinterest super hot gameplay
5. #HistoricalMomentsRe-enactmentProject
How to play:
Colorize and restore some important historical black and white photos
(such as World War II, the Olympics, space history, etc.)Publish pictures, texts or short videos with popular science stories
Hot spot: knowledge + visual shock double pull
Especially suitable for high-quality content accounts and knowledge area hot products
Demonstration Case (Inspiration is overflowing, apply it directly!)
Case 1: #Black and White Photo Rebirth Challenge (Grandparents Youth Memory Version)
Original black and white photo : Grandfather and grandmother took a photo in front of their home in the 1950s
Prompt：
"Please colorize this black and white photo naturally. Grandfather is wearing a dark gray suit and grandmother is wearing a light pink dress. The background is a brick house and green plants. The sunlight is soft, the skin color is natural and healthy, and the overall atmosphere is warm and nostalgic."
Effect : The skin color is delicate and realistic, the color matching of the clothes is gentle, and the green plants and light and shadow layers in the background are fully utilized. After uploading to Xiaohongshu/WeChat Moments, it triggered a large number of emotionally resonant comments and a surge in likes.
Applicable gameplay : #Black and White Photo Rebirth Challenge, #Grandparents Youth Challenge
Case 2: Rebirth of a Sci-Fi Movie Character (Futuristic Version)
Original black and white photo : a bust of a character from an old still
Prompt：
“Colorize this black and white portrait to create a cyberpunk style, with blue-purple fluorescent lighting, a future urban night scene in the background, and the clothing has a metallic texture.”
Effect : The overall effect is cool and futuristic, especially suitable for social avatars or short video materials.
Applicable gameplay : #FutureRebirthChallenge, #CharacterRecreation
Case 3: Fresh memories of childhood (comparison of growth)
Original black and white photo : A photo of me playing with my puppy in the park when I was 5 years old
Prompt：
"Natural colors, bright sunshine, emerald green grass, the child is wearing a white T-shirt and jeans, the puppy has light brown hair, and the overall atmosphere is relaxed and warm."
Effect : Warm and healing style , especially suitable for short videos on growth themes, such as the "Childhood vs. Now" comparison series.
Applicable gameplay : #Travel back to childhood series
Conclusion
From personal memories to historical moments, bringing color back to black and white photos has never been easier.
Now, this tool of OpenAI is making headlines again — with the help of ChatGPT, you can effortlessly turn decades-old black and white pictures into vivid, colorful memories.
Whether for storytelling, creativity, or pure nostalgia, this new feature is taking the internet by storm.
Secretly, these gameplays are insanely easy to go viral if you post them on Xiaohongshu, Weibo, TikTok, or Instagram.
Is there a special memory you wish you could see in color again?
Have you tried using ChatGPT to colorize any photos yet? Did it turn out the way you wanted?
