Models

What is Seedance 2 Mini, and how do you use it on iPhone?

· 5 min read

Get the iPhone app

Short answer: Seedance 2 Mini is a video model from ByteDance, the lighter version of Seedance 2.0, launched in mid-June 2026. It makes clips at 480p or 720p from a text prompt or from one photo, with sound if you want it. ByteDance does not ship it as an iPhone app of its own, so on iPhone you use it through an app that offers it. In Dora it is the default video model: tap Generate, choose it in AI Model, add a photo if you have one, write what should happen and tap Generate again.

What Seedance 2 Mini is

  • Who makes it: ByteDance, the company behind the Seedance models. Third-party catalogues list its release as June 15, 2026, and Atlas Cloud describes it as a mid-June launch (see the sources at the end).
  • Resolution: 480p and 720p only. The full Seedance 2.0 goes higher; ComfyUI's announcement says Mini "tops out at 720p".
  • Price: Atlas Cloud lists it at half the per-second price of standard Seedance 2.0.
  • Input: a text prompt, or one photo as the first frame plus a prompt for the movement.
  • Length: providers offer 4 to 15 seconds. In Dora you pick 4, 8 or 12.

In Dora it also replaced Seedance 1.5 Pro, which was retired on October 25, 2026: anything that asks for 1.5 Pro is now made with Mini.

How to use it on iPhone

  1. Install Dora from the App Store and sign in.
  2. Tap Generate, the raised button in the middle of the tab bar.
  3. Tap the AI Model card and choose Seedance 2 Mini. In version 1.4.2, the one on the App Store on November 2, 2026, it is still listed as SeeDance 1.5 Pro. That option runs Seedance 2 Mini. If you leave the card on Auto, that version may pick another model.
  4. Optional: under Reference image, add a photo. It becomes the first frame. A clear photo with the face visible works best.
  5. Write one or two sentences about what moves, pick the shape (9:16 for Reels and TikTok) and the length, and tap Generate. The coin cost shows on the button before you tap it.
  6. You can leave the app while it works. The clip appears in your library, ready to save or share.

No app? The same model runs in Safari at doravideo.com, and inside the ChatGPT and Claude apps through Dora's connector (ChatGPT, Claude). The account and the coins are the same everywhere.

Two clips we made with it

We made both on November 1, 2026, in two steps: an image from a reference photo with Nano Banana 2, then a 4-second video with Seedance 2 Mini at 480p, without sound. The reference person was also generated with Dora, not a real photo. We ran them through Dora's connector in Claude Code, not in the iPhone app; the model and its settings are the same.

1. A painting that comes to life

Video prompt:

The woman in the oil painting comes to life: she opens her fan and looks around with a smile while the brushstroke texture stays visible, the gold frame and white wall stay perfectly still, fixed camera

2. An awards speech

Video prompt:

She wipes a happy tear, lifts the gold statuette and speaks into the microphone, the audience in the foreground starts clapping, warm stage light, fixed camera

Step Settings Coins Time until we saw it ready
Painting, image Nano Banana 2, 9:16, 1K 8
Painting, video Seedance 2 Mini, 4 s, 480p, no sound 16 about 3 min 35 s
Speech, image Nano Banana 2, 9:16, 1K 8
Speech, video Seedance 2 Mini, 4 s, 480p, no sound 16 about 5 min 6 s

The times are when our polling first saw the clip ready, so they are upper bounds from two runs, not an average. Both videos are about 4 seconds long. The full prompts for the images are in how to make videos in Claude.

What it costs in Dora

Length 480p 720p
4 s 16 coins 33 coins
8 s 31 coins 66 coins
12 s 46 coins 99 coins

Sound on or off costs the same. Coins come with the plan or in packs; current prices are on the pricing page.

Tips for better clips

  • One movement per clip. "She opens her fan and smiles" works better than a whole story in four seconds.
  • Say what stays still. "The frame and the wall stay perfectly still, fixed camera" kept the background steady in our painting clip.
  • Try at 480p, post at 720p. 480p looks soft on a large screen, so use it for ideas and make the final version at 720p.
  • Use a clear photo. One face, good light, no sunglasses.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a Seedance 2 Mini app for iPhone?

Not from ByteDance as a standalone app. You use the model through apps and sites that offer it. In Dora it is the default video model, on iPhone, in the browser and in ChatGPT and Claude.

Why does my Dora app say SeeDance 1.5 Pro?

Version 1.4.2 of the iPhone app, on the App Store on November 2, 2026, still uses the old name. Seedance 1.5 Pro was retired on October 25, 2026, and that option now runs Seedance 2 Mini.

Can Seedance 2 Mini turn a photo into a video?

Yes. Add one photo as the reference image and describe what moves. You can also leave the photo out and describe the whole scene.

What resolution does Seedance 2 Mini make?

480p or 720p. It does not make 1080p or 4K.

Sources

Get the iPhone appUse it in Claude or ChatGPT

Keep reading

ComparisonsSeedance 1.5 Pro is retired: how Seedance 2 Mini comparesSeedance 1.5 Pro stopped working on October 25, 2026. Here is its replacement on the same prompt, what it costs and what you lose.GuidesHow to turn a photo into a video on iPhoneA Live Photo saved as video, a slideshow or memory movie with music, or a still photo brought to life by AI. The steps for each, and which one you actually need.GuidesHow to make videos in ClaudeAdd a video connector once, then ask in a chat. The steps, two prompts we really ran with their results, what they cost, how long they took and what we have not tested.