You’ve probably seen the name Doubao a lot lately. It’s ByteDance’s fast-growing AI assistant and large-model family, powering a consumer chatbot, media models like Seedream and Seedance, and even a new generation of AI smartphones.
So, many friends have asked me what doubao is, and I’ll explain it in this article today.
Short version:
- Outside of China, doubao is known as cici or dola (formerly cici, now dola). Their current website has also been redirected from cici to dola via a 301 redirect.
- Doubao’s models do support English, and image / video models like Seedream and Seedance are already accessible through global tools such as Ima Studio.
- Doubao is also showing up inside hardware, through a ZTE AI phone that integrates Doubao as a system-level agent.
This article explains:
- What Doubao actually is
- Whether an “English Doubao” exists
- What Seedream and Seedance do
- What the ZTE × Doubao AI phone means
- And how you can try Doubao’s image & video models in English via Ima Studio
What is Doubao?
Doubao (豆包) is both:
- A consumer AI assistant – an app / web service similar to ChatGPT, where you chat, ask questions, write, translate, and code.
- A family of large models – ByteDance’s home-grown LLM and multimodal stack.
On the model side, Doubao includes:
- Text LLMs in the Doubao-1.5 / 1.6 line for chat, reasoning and tool calling
- Vision and multimodal models for understanding images, video and screens
- Media generators like Seedream (image) and Seedance (video) exposed through cloud platforms and partner tools
In China, Doubao has rapidly grown into a mainstream assistant with tens of millions of users and tight integration into ByteDance’s ecosystem and devices.
Is there an “English version of Doubao”?
Outside China, ByteDance also runs a separate consumer chatbot that mirrors much of Doubao’s role: it was originally branded as Cici, and has now been fully rebranded as Dola (spelled D-o-l-a, not “Dora”). On the App Store and Google Play it appears as “Dola: Formerly Cici”.
From a user’s point of view, this is a brand upgrade rather than a new product:
- Renaming timeline – The public rebrand from Cici to Dola started rolling out in late 2025, and app stores now consistently show the new name with the “formerly Cici” tag.
- Accounts and data – Existing Cici users can simply log into Dola with the same account, and their previous chats and settings carry over.
- Positioning and regions – Dola is still aimed at overseas markets such as the UK, Mexico and Southeast Asia, and remains region-locked, which is why it doesn’t appear in app stores for mainland China or the US.
In practice:
- Overseas users can open the App Store or Google Play, search for “Dola”, install the app, and sign in with a new or existing account.
- Users in mainland China usually need to have their IP / store region set to a supported country (for example the UK, Indonesia or Mexico) before they can download and log in.
- On desktop, you can access the web client via Dola’s official site, and the former Cici domain now redirects there, preserving continuity for existing users.
Doubao AI phone: ZTE and Doubao turn the model into a system-level agent
You might also have seen headlines about a “Doubao AI phone”. That’s not just marketing.
In late 2025, ByteDance and ZTE introduced a smartphone based on the ZTE Nubia M153, with Doubao Mobile Assistant deeply embedded at the operating-system level and sold in limited batches to developers and early adopters.
What makes it different from a regular phone + chatbot combo?
- You can summon Doubao from any screen using voice, a side key or compatible earbuds.
- The assistant can see your screen and perform multi-step actions across apps:
- Compare products across several ecommerce platforms
- Book trips end-to-end
- Summarize long chats or meeting notes
- Even auto-play certain games under defined conditions
- Under the hood, this is powered by Doubao acting as a high-permission AI agent, not just a floating chatbot bubble.
The phone is still a technical preview, with a small run and real-world friction: major platforms like WeChat and Alibaba have already restricted some types of cross-app automation, raising debates around security, data access and platform policies.
Doubao’s popularity comes largely from its creative side. Through a single conversational interface, users can draft text, generate images and even trigger video creation. These creative capabilities are powered by ByteDance’s Doubao-Seed model family, together with specialized media models such as Seedream for images and Seedance for video.
Meet Seedream: Doubao’s image model
Seedream is ByteDance’s flagship image model, used for both text-to-image and image-to-image generation. Recent versions such as Seedream 4.0 and 4.5 are designed to compete directly with top global models.
Key traits
- Text-to-image + image editing in one model
You can generate from a text prompt or transform an existing picture (style transfer, variation, inpainting, background changes, and more). - High-resolution output
Seedream 4.0 targets fast 2K renders and can go up to 4K for demanding use cases, making it suitable for print-level visuals and large displays. - Strong layout and text rendering
Compared with many peers, Seedream is notably good at structured layouts and short in-image text (titles, signs, labels) in both English and Chinese. - Bilingual prompting
It handles English and Chinese prompts equally well, which is ideal for global teams collaborating on the same asset.
Typical use cases
- Marketing key visuals, ads and social creatives
- Product photos, mockups and catalog assets
- Concept art, comics and storyboards
- Thumbnails, cover art and channel branding
Meet Seedance: Doubao’s video model
On the video side, Doubao’s main generator is Seedance 1.0, a text-to-video and image-to-video model designed for short, cinematic clips.
Highlights
- Clip length – around 10 seconds per generation (depending on configuration).
- Inputs – text-only prompts, or text plus a reference image.
- Resolution – up to 1080p output suitable for social and commercial use.
- Multi-shot storytelling – a single clip can include several camera angles (wide, medium, close), giving a trailer-like feel.
- Stable motion – coherent scenes with camera moves that look surprisingly natural for a generative model.
Creators use Seedance for
- Short cinematic sequences for TikTok, Reels and Shorts
- Music-video snippets and performance B-roll
- Product showcase and launch teasers
- Visual moodboards for film, animation and game projects
Why choose Ima Studio to experience the English versions of Seedream and Seedance?
If you simply want a chat assistant, the official Dola app is excellent.
But if you’re a designer, marketer, editor, or studio primarily focused on visual output, Ima Studio offers a smoother path to the Doubao series models:
1. English-first, multi-model workspace
Ima Studio is built as a multi-model creation hub, with Seedream and Seedance living alongside other major image and video engines. You can:
- Use English prompts end-to-end
- Switch between models in the same project
- Compare outputs side by side without juggling multiple accounts or websites
For many international users, this is the most practical way to “use Doubao’s image and video models” in an English-friendly environment.
2. One account for many Doubao-family capabilities
Instead of separately managing cloud consoles, tokens and billing for each API, you simply:
- Create one Ima Studio account
- Unlock Seedream for images
- Unlock Seedance for videos
- Add other models for avatars, sketches, banners, memes and more
This turns Doubao-family models into a daily creative tool, not just an interesting benchmark.
3. Creator-friendly workflow instead of raw APIs
Cloud portals and SDKs are ideal for engineers. Most creators want:
- A visual prompt editor with history and versioning
- Project / collection management
- Easy download and export
- Templates for common tasks (ads, thumbnails, storyboards, etc.)
Ima Studio wraps Seedream and Seedance in that workflow, so you can focus on story, style and iteration, not on infrastructure.
How to try Seedream and Seedance in English with Ima Studio
A. Using Seedream for AI images
1. Sign up or log in
Go to Ima Studio and create an account, or log in if you already have one.
2. Open the image workspace
From the main dashboard, choose something like “Image” or “Seedream AI Image Generator”.
3. Select Seedream as the model
In the model dropdown, pick Seedream (for example “Seedream 4.0”). All prompts on this canvas will then use Doubao’s image model behind the scenes.
4. Write your prompt in English (or Chinese)
Example:
“Ultra-detailed cinematic portrait of a young woman in neon rain, 4K, dramatic lighting, magazine cover layout with the title ‘Night Shift’ at the top.”
Optionally, upload a reference image to lock in style, character or composition.
5. Generate and refine
- Click Generate and wait a few seconds.
- Adjust the prompt, aspect ratio or style tags and regenerate until you’re happy.
- Save or favorite the best outputs, or export them for editing in your usual design tools.
B. Using Seedance for AI video
1. Open the video workspace
In the navigation, go to “Video” or “Seedance Video Generator”.
2. Choose Seedance
Select Seedance (for example “Seedance 1.0 Pro” or “Seedance 1.0 Lite”) in the model selector.
3. Describe your clip
Example:
“A 10-second vertical video of a guitarist playing on a rooftop at sunset, slow circular camera move around the performer, warm golden backlight, stylized like an indie film trailer.”
You can optionally upload a reference frame (e.g. your character or setting) to anchor the look.
4. Set basic options
- Target duration (e.g. ~10 seconds)
- Aspect ratio (9:16 for TikTok / Reels / Shorts, 16:9 for YouTube)
- Any additional hints about camera style (handheld, cinematic, static, etc.)
5. Generate, preview and iterate
- Start generation and let Seedance render your clip.
- Preview inside Ima Studio.
- Refine the prompt or settings, regenerate new takes, and download your favorites as MP4.
- Bring the final clip into CapCut, Premiere or DaVinci Resolve for last-mile editing.
When does the official Doubao app still make sense?
Ima Studio doesn’t replace Doubao (or Dola) in every scenario.
The official Doubao app / web is still better if you:
- Live in China and want a daily general AI assistant in Chinese
- Mainly need chat, Q&A, document analysis or code help
- Are using or testing Doubao-enabled smartphones where the AI agent directly controls apps at the OS level (such as the ZTE Doubao phone)
By contrast, Ima Studio is best when you:
- Care primarily about visual content (images + video)
- Want to work in an English-first or bilingual environment
- Need Seedream and Seedance alongside other major models in the same project
- Prefer a creator-centric UI instead of raw cloud consoles
Think of it like this:
- ZTE × Doubao phone → Doubao as a life / productivity agent on your device
- Ima Studio + Seedream / Seedance → Doubao-family models as your creative co-pilot for images and video
FAQ
1. Is there an official “English Doubao” app?
No. There is currently no app officially branded as “English Doubao” for global users. Instead, ByteDance operates Dola (formerly Cici) as its main overseas consumer chatbot, and the underlying Doubao models are also accessible through cloud platforms and creative tools like Ima Studio.
2. Can I use Doubao in English if I’m in China?
Yes. If you have access to the Doubao app or web client, you can chat and write prompts in English. For most tasks (chat, writing, coding), Doubao will understand and respond in English.
3. What is the main advantage of Seedream vs other image models?
Benchmarks and demos highlight Seedream’s strengths in high-resolution output, structured layouts and text inside images for both English and Chinese. That makes it especially useful for posters, covers, marketing materials and UI / product mockups.
4. What makes Seedance interesting as a video model?
Seedance 1.0 focuses on short, cinematic clips with multi-shot storytelling. It supports text-to-video and image-to-video, outputs up to 1080p, and produces smooth camera motion and stable subjects—ideal for social content and creative prototyping.
5. What is the ZTE × Doubao AI phone exactly?
It’s a ZTE smartphone (based on the Nubia M153) with Doubao Mobile Assistant deeply integrated into the OS. The AI assistant can see your screen, control apps and execute multi-step tasks, acting as a system-level agent rather than a simple chatbot. The device is currently produced in limited batches and positioned as a developer / early-adopter AI phone.
6. Why not just call Doubao’s APIs directly instead of using Ima Studio?
If you are a developer building your own product, direct APIs might be ideal. If you are primarily a creator, editor or marketer, Ima Studio saves you from managing infrastructure, tokens and model parameters. You get a ready-to-use workspace where Seedream and Seedance are already integrated, so you can focus on prompts, story and design instead of backend plumbing.
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