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Vinted update

Vinted AI: the toggle is here, are AI photos finally being owned? ✨

When you upload a listing, a toggle to flag AI use on your photos now shows up. What it means (and what it doesn't), with sources.

François

Founder of Vendy Studio, which he builds from northern France. He designs the tool, tests the AI models and digs through the rules — tax and platform — that frame online reselling.

8 min read
27 September 2026
Updated on 2026-10-22
Seller switching on an AI toggle on her phone while uploading a jumper photo on a second-hand app
AI-generated illustration

I was putting a listing up on Vinted this weekend. Jumper photo, category, size… and then, while adding the photos, something I'd never seen before: an option to flag that I'm using AI.

Sounds like a small detail. It isn't. For months, the question "are AI photos allowed on Vinted?" has gone round in circles in seller groups, with answers ranging from "no problem at all" to "you'll get banned." And now the app itself is offering you a way to declare your AI use.

You don't build a checkbox to declare something you ban outright. In this piece, I'll walk you through what we saw, what Vinted has actually said about AI, why it's arriving now, what's still strictly banned, and how to use AI photos on Vinted properly.

Full disclosure before we start

I'm the founder of Vendy Studio, an AI photo tool for Vinted and second-hand sellers. So I clearly have a stake in AI being accepted on Vinted — all the more reason to keep the sourced facts separate from our own interpretation. Vendy Studio is independent: no connection to Vinted, and nobody here speaks on its behalf.

2 Aug 2026

EU AI Act transparency obligations (art. 50) become applicable

Sept. 2026

a toggle to flag AI use appears when uploading photos

1

Vinted's AI toggle: what it says, what we don't know

Pro tip

What Vinted shows (checked on 21 October 2026): in the listing form, next to the photos, an option labelled « Marquer les photos comme générées par l'IA » on vinted.fr ("Mark photos as AI-generated"). The "When should I use this option?" link opens the following explanation, quoted from the French interface of vinted.fr:

« Si tu as utilisé des outils d'IA pour créer ou modifier des images, nous te recommandons de préciser que ton annonce contient des images générées par l'IA afin d'être transparent vis-à-vis des acheteurs. Cela n'aura aucune incidence sur la visibilité de ton annonce. »

Our translation: "If you used AI tools to create or edit images, we recommend stating that your listing contains AI-generated images in order to be transparent with buyers. This will have no effect on your listing's visibility."

So three things are official:

  • Vinted provides for images created or edited with AI;
  • Vinted recommends flagging them, for transparency towards buyers;
  • flagging has no effect on the listing's visibility, according to Vinted.

What we still don't know: exactly how the mention appears to buyers, which countries have the option, the exact wording in each language, and when the catalog rules might be updated (they don't mention AI yet).

Can't see the toggle?

Update the app and start a new listing again. If it's still not there, it's probably just not yet rolled out to your account or country. Nothing unusual about that.

2

Does Vinted actually tolerate AI photos?

Pro tip

Short answer: yes, with conditions. And that's not just a guess based on the toggle: Vinted said as much publicly this summer.

What Vinted told the press

In early August 2026, Dutch public broadcaster NOS got a clear position from Vinted. In short:

  • AI is fine if the photo is an accurate representation of the item and complies with the terms and conditions;
  • photos must show the item's real quality and look, flaws included;
  • using AI to mislead isn't allowed.

Read that again: the problem isn't AI. The problem is lying about the item.

So what about the catalog rules?

Vinted's catalog rules still don't have a dedicated line on AI. They ask for photos taken by you that represent the item as it is, and state that editing isn't allowed. It's that gap between rules written before generative AI and the reality of today's listings that created the grey area we unpacked in July.

Our reading: between Vinted's statements to the press and the appearance of a declaration toggle in the app, the platform seems to have chosen to frame AI use rather than ban it. But that's an interpretation: only Vinted decides how its rules apply, listing by listing.

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Photos made with the free credits carry a watermark.

3

Why this toggle is arriving now: the AI Act

Pro tip

Vinted hasn't explained the timing. But it's hard not to link it to two things:

  1. Article 50 of the EU AI Act, whose transparency obligations for AI-generated or manipulated content have applied since 2 August 2026. The spirit of the text: when content is made or edited by AI, people should be able to know.
  2. Media pressure: NOS in the Netherlands showed cases this summer of AI photos giving a misleading impression of second-hand clothing.

A declaration toggle is the logical answer to both: AI stays possible for honest sellers, and the buyer (or moderation) has the information.

What we won't tell you

We won't tell you that switching on the toggle puts you "in compliance with the AI Act." Who's covered by which obligation depends on your situation (private seller, professional) and is a question for a legal professional. What we can say: flagging AI use when you use it is in the spirit of the text, and it costs nothing.

4

What's still banned, toggle on or off

Pro tip

This is THE trap to avoid. Seeing an "AI" checkbox appear can feel like everything's fine as long as you tick it. Wrong. The checkbox exists to be transparent, not to excuse a misleading visual.

🚫 Still banned, toggle on or off
  • An AI visual of an item you don't actually own
  • Changing the colour, cut or fabric of your item
  • Erasing a stain, a snag or bobbling
  • Replacing all your real photos with AI ones
  • Reusing a catalog photo or another listing's image
✅ What Vinted says it accepts (to the press, August 2026)
  • Using AI if the photo represents the item accurately
  • A visual that shows the item's real quality and look
  • Flaws shown as they actually are
  • Compliance with the terms and the catalog rules
  • A use that doesn't try to mislead the buyer

The simplest test before you publish: if the buyer receives the item and compares it to the AI visual, does she feel misled? If the answer is yes, even a little, that visual shouldn't go up. Not for Vinted's sake: for your feedback, your ratings and your reputation as a seller.

5

Should you switch on the AI toggle? My take: yes

Pro tip

I can already hear the question: "What if it puts buyers off? What if the algorithm buries me?" Vinted answered in the option's explanation: flagging "will have no effect on your listing's visibility" (our translation).

Here's why I switch it on anyway, every time a visual is AI-generated or AI-edited:

  • If the toggle exists, it's there to be used: leaving it off while your visual is AI only weakens your position if someone reports it;
  • Trust sells: on Vinted, your rating is your capital. A buyer who knew a photo was an AI visual doesn't feel deceived;
  • It changes nothing about what actually sells: an item presented well, a fair price, and a real photo of the item in first position.

One extra tip

Add a line to your description: "Worn photo = AI-generated visual from the item. Real item in photo 1, flaws in photos 3 and 4." It heads off questions before they start, and it shows you've got nothing to hide.

6

The clean AI photo method in 4 steps

Pro tip

1. Your real photo first

The catalog rules ask for a first photo that clearly shows the whole item. Keep it real: flat or on a hanger, natural light, plain background. Add the label and any flaws as close-ups. Need a refresher? Our Vinted photo guide covers the basics.

2. An AI visual that matches the item

An AI worn photo exists to show the drape and the shape: what a flat photo can't. It has to start from a photo of your garment, and the render needs to match its colour, cut, fabric and condition. If the AI's flattered it, regenerate or drop it. We go into detail in AI worn photos.

3. AI toggle on, plus a note

When you add your photos, switch on the AI toggle if it shows up. Then add the note in your description. Two seconds, zero ambiguity.

4. Keep your originals

If a question or dispute comes up, your original photos prove the item sold is the one in the visual. Keep them until the sale is fully done.

The "clean AI photo" checklist before you publish

Photo 1 = your real item, whole, sharp, in natural light
Flaws are visible on a real photo
The AI visual matches your item's colour, cut and condition
The AI toggle is switched on whenever a photo is AI-generated or edited
A line in the description: "worn photo = AI visual, real item in photo 1"
You've kept your original photos in case a buyer asks

Sources & references

FAQ: Vinted, AI and the AI Photos Toggle

Vinted hasn't written a rule about AI into its catalog rules, but the platform has spoken to the Dutch press (NOS in August 2026): AI is fine as long as the photo represents the item accurately and complies with the terms and conditions. What isn't allowed is using AI to mislead. The arrival of a toggle to flag AI use at upload points the same way: AI isn't banned, it just has to stay transparent and faithful to the item.
In the listing form, next to the photos: on vinted.fr the option reads « Marquer les photos comme générées par l'IA » ("Mark photos as AI-generated", French interface checked on 21 October 2026; the English wording may differ). A "When should I use this option?" link opens an explanation from Vinted. If you don't see it, update the app; the rollout may be gradual.
No, according to Vinted. The explanation attached to the option says (our translation of the French interface): "This will have no effect on your listing's visibility." Vinted also recommends stating that the listing contains AI-generated images "to be transparent with buyers". A misleading AI photo, flagged or not, is still exposed to reports, disputes and moderation.
No. Switching it on doesn't make a misleading visual acceptable. The catalog rules still require photos to represent the item as it is, flaws included, and Vinted has said AI used to mislead isn't allowed. A visual that changes your item's colour, cut or condition is still a problem, toggle on or off.
Vinted says it reviews reports case by case, and its terms let it remove listings or restrict accounts for rule violations. The real risk comes from visuals that don't match the real item. A faithful AI photo, flagged as such and backed by real photos, reduces that risk without ever removing it entirely: moderation has the final say.
Vinted hasn't explained it publicly. The timing lines up with Article 50 of the EU AI Act, whose transparency obligations for AI-generated or manipulated content have applied since 2 August 2026, plus press coverage (NOS) of misleading AI photos. That's our reading, not a Vinted statement.
Yes. A virtual model, an AI-replaced background or a worn photo generated from your garment are all AI-generated or AI-edited visuals. If the toggle exists in your app, switch it on, and keep a real photo of the item in first position.
Every platform has its own rules and its own moderation. The one principle that shows up everywhere is the same: the item shown has to be the item sold, in its real condition. Check each platform's own listing rules before you publish.
No. Vendy Studio is an independent visual-creation tool, with no connection to Vinted or any other platform mentioned. Nobody can guarantee a photo will be accepted by a platform, us included.

Keep Reading 📚

F

François

Founder of Vendy Studio

Founder of Vendy Studio, which he builds from northern France. He designs the tool, tests the AI models and digs through the rules — tax and platform — that frame online reselling.

⚖️ Legal Information & Transparency

Independence: VendyStudio is an independent service. We are not affiliated with Vinted, Beebs, Depop or any other resale platform mentioned in this article.

Responsibility: Always check your platform's terms and conditions before publishing. You are responsible for the content you publish.

Moderation: Platform moderation systems are opaque and may change. VendyStudio cannot guarantee that your photos will be accepted by moderators.

This article is informational. It's based on direct observation of the Vinted app (27 September 2026) and the public sources listed at the end (Vinted's statements to the Dutch press, the catalog rules, the EU AI Act). At the time of writing, Vinted hadn't published any help page or announcement detailing this toggle: its exact wording, how it works and its rollout may vary by country and app version. This is not legal advice, nor an official position from Vinted. Vendy Studio is an independent service with no connection to Vinted or any other platform mentioned. You remain responsible for your own listings: always check the rules in force before you publish.

Starter Offer

AI has a place on Vinted,
as long as it stays faithful ✨

Vendy Studio generates worn photos from the real photo of your garment, for your Vinted, Depop or eBay listings. You check the render, you keep your real photos, you switch on the AI toggle: clean, transparent, effective.

🎁 3 free photos, no credit card needed.

Photos made with the free credits carry a watermark.