Google has added five new tools to Flow, its creative studio, each designed by a working visual artist or filmmaker. The company announced them on Nov 12, 2026, and says they cover character design, retro effects, light effects and phone video.

The tools are part of a wider Flow feature that lets people build and share custom tools. Google says the five here show what creatives can make with it, and invites readers to try them or build their own.

What are the five new Flow tools?

Here is the lineup, with the creator Google credits for each:

  • Character Poster, by artist and filmmaker James Gerde
  • Character Arc, by filmmaker and visual storyteller Anurag Tiwari
  • Pixel Machine, also by Anurag Tiwari
  • Lucid Glass, by artist and creative director Ezra Paulekas
  • Pocket Studio, by visual development artist and filmmaker Ryan McCoy

What does Character Poster do?

Character Poster turns a simple story concept into a polished, designed visual. Google says Gerde built it because he treats his social feeds like curated galleries where visual consistency matters most.

According to Google, it helps creators keep one signature style across their social stories and can save hours of production work. The example shown is a cinematic “let’s go to the beach” poster.

What does Character Arc do?

Character Arc shows how one character changes over time. Per Google, storytellers can picture the same character at different ages and life stages without losing the core look, which speeds up character development before full production starts.

Tiwari is using it on his documentary “Children of the Sun”, which pairs present-day interviews with reflections on events from 1974. He says it helps him build the protagonist’s background while keeping him recognizable across different periods.

What does Pixel Machine do?

Pixel Machine is aimed at people who like retro digital looks. Google says it converts images into bitmap, ASCII, CRT, pixel art and glitch styles.

The intended uses are stylized title treatments, transitions and music video visuals. Google describes it as a playground that goes beyond polished visuals.

What does Lucid Glass do?

Lucid Glass recreates the way light passes through glass. Google lists prisms, halos, refractions and optical blooms among the effects.

The company calls it an “impossible lens” for photographers and filmmakers, meaning effects that real glass could not produce on its own.

What does Pocket Studio do?

Pocket Studio upgrades everyday phone footage. Google says it generates multiple camera angles from a single take and raises the visual fidelity while keeping the actor’s original performance intact.

McCoy draws on more than two decades in previsualization and visual effects for major motion pictures, according to Google.

How do you get the tools, and what do they cost?

Google’s announcement links readers to the Flow studio to try the tools, and says people can build their own there as well. It does not state a price for any of the five.

An earlier Google post from May 19, 2026 describes the wider Flow Tools feature. It says all Flow users globally can use existing Tools, while Google AI subscribers can also create and remix them. The same post says features may vary by subscription tier, platform and region, and that Flow has launched in over 140 countries. No prices or currencies appear in either post.

Who it suits

Social creators and designers who need a consistent look across many posts are the clearest fit for Character Poster, since the tool is built around keeping one style.

Documentary makers, animators and writers who develop characters before shooting may find Character Arc useful, because it is meant to keep a person recognizable across ages.

Music video and title designers looking for glitch, ASCII or CRT looks can look at Pixel Machine, while photographers and filmmakers chasing glass and light effects have Lucid Glass.

Phone shooters and small crews are the audience for Pocket Studio, which promises extra angles from one take without changing the performance.

What is still unknown?

Google has not published prices for these tools, nor a full list of regions or subscription tiers that apply to them specifically. It also has not said how well the tools handle long projects or high resolution output. The results shown come from Google’s own examples, so readers should try the tools on their own material before relying on them for client work.

To see what is available to your account, open Flow through the link in Google’s announcement and check the tools list there.