How to Activate MidJourney V7?

If you’re a MidJourney user, you’ve probably heard the buzz: MidJourney V7 is here — and it’s packed with updates, improvements, and exciting new tools. In this article, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know based on my experience testing V7 since its release.

I’ll keep things clear and beginner-friendly sharing what’s new, what works better, what’s still being improved, and how to get the best results with this new model.

What is MidJourney V7?

MidJourney V7 is the latest image generation model from the MidJourney team. It was launched in April as an alpha model, with frequent weekly updates being released.

You can start using V7 by:

• Typing --v7 in your prompt
• Or setting it as your default model in settings

The model focuses on better image quality, prompt understanding, and realism. It’s already showing clear improvements over V6 in many areas — particularly in generating more natural skin textures and reducing common issues like the “beauty bias.”

MidJourney V6 vs. V7

Feature	MidJourney V6	MidJourney V7 (Alpha)
Image Quality	High	Higher (especially realism)
Skin Texture	Often smooth/idealized	More natural, realistic
Beauty Bias	Present	Reduced
Body Coherence	Good	Slightly better
Prompt Understanding	Improved	More consistent
Tile / Weird / Remix Mode	Limited support	Fully supported
Draft Mode	Not available	Available
Omni Reference	Not supported	Coming soon
Fast Mode	Available	Coming soon

Key Features of MidJourney V7

Let’s explore the key upgrades and tools that come with this version.

1. Improved Image Quality

• Realistic skin textures
• Balanced lighting and facial features
• Better overall photo-realism
• Less grungy style in default aesthetics

2. Prompt Understanding

• Handles longer, detailed prompts better
• More accurate output for complex ideas
• May require some prompting style adjustments

3. Personalization

• Personalization tailors image outputs to your visual taste
• Requires ranking 200 image pairs to activate
• You can toggle personalization on/off anytime

4. New Parameters

• Weird: Create quirky and experimental images
• Tile: Generate seamless patterns
• Remix Mode: Modify generated images in creative ways
• Exprise (Experimental): A dynamic creativity knob (trades prompt adherence for variety)

5. Draft Mode

• Generates images quickly at half the cost
• Great for quick iterations
• Works best in conversational mode

How to Use MidJourney V7? (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Activate V7

You can do this by:

• Adding --v7 at the end of your prompt
• Or going to Settings → Default Model → V7

Step 2: Set Up Personalization

1. Go to the Personalize page
2. Rank at least 200 image pairs
   • Don’t overthink; go with your visual instinct
3. Once completed, personalization is active

Note: You can compare results by toggling personalization on/off.

Step 3: Use Draft Mode for Fast Iteration

1. Click the lightning bolt icon to enter Draft Mode
2. Enter your prompt
3. Or activate Conversational Mode
   • Speak or type instructions
   • It remembers previous jobs in the session

Step 4: Use the New Editor

• Access it by clicking “Editor” on any image
• Tools include:
  • Zoom Out
  • Aspect Ratio Adjustments
  • Erase / Repaint
  • Smart Selection
  • Retexture
  • Layers

Enable New Features (V7 supports)

• --weird – Adds surreal, unexpected elements.
• --no – Excludes certain elements (though results can be unpredictable).
• --tile – Creates seamless patterns.
• Remix Mode – Lets you modify prompts during variations.

Step 5: Upscale Final Results

Once you’re happy with a draft:

• Click Enhance
• The image is re-rendered in standard mode for higher quality

What’s New in the Website Interface

Updated Personalize Page:

• Profiles and mood boards are now in a grid layout
• Filter by model (V6, V7)
• V6 profiles can be used with V7, but not the other way around

Settings Menu Update:

• Imagine bar updated
• V7 can be set as the default model
• Personalization now has a dedicated button for easy access

Draft Mode: Quick Overview

Feature	Details
Speed	Super fast
Cost	Half of standard mode
Quality	Lower (meant for drafts)
Use Case	Rapid idea generation
Conversational Mode	Uses LLM to suggest prompts
Input Method	Text or voice
Memory	Remembers previous prompts in session

Image Editor: What’s New

MidJourney now combines the basic and full editors:

Key Tools:

• Zoom Out and resize
• Erase / Repaint sections
• Smart Selection (select parts of an image)
• Retexture for applying style codes (great for illustrations)
• Layers for multi-image composition

Note: Matching lighting and angle with layers can be tricky.

Omni Reference (Coming Soon)

A new tool for image referencing:

• Supports human, non-human characters, logos, and objects
• Works with MidJourney and non-MidJourney images
• Includes a weight parameter to control how close the result is to the reference
• Multiple character support to be added later

V6 users can still use the original character reference.

Quality & Aesthetics Improvements (In Progress)

MidJourney is working on:

• Better compatibility with SREF codes
• Improved mood board results
• A new quality parameter for higher-quality outputs (in slower mode)
• Fast Mode support for V7 (currently it defaults to Turbo)

MidJourney Conversational Mode

This is available in both Draft and Standard modes, but best used with Draft mode due to speed:

Features:

• Natural language interaction
• Works in multiple languages
• Microphone input supported
• Has session memory
• Can generate prompt variations based on previous images

MidJourney Video Model: In Development

Work on a video generation model is progressing. Early results were seen in April, with more training and testing underway. If all goes well, users might get access by May or June.

MidJourney’s Goals:

• Make video tools available across all subscription plans
• Keep video quality high while managing rendering costs

3D Model Development

MidJourney’s 3D generation model is currently paused but will resume once V7 is fully released. No concrete timeline yet.

FAQs:

1. Do I need to use new prompts for V7?

You can use your old V6 prompts and SREF codes, but results may vary. V7 has different behavior, so tweaking is often needed.

2. Is V7 available to all users?

Yes. You just need to enable it manually or set it as your default.

3. Can I use my V6 personalization profiles with V7?

Yes, but you’ll need to select “Show V6 profiles” in the filter. V7 profiles won’t work in V6.

4. Can I use fast mode in V7?

Currently, V7 uses Turbo when fast mode is selected. Proper fast mode support is coming soon.

5. What is the purpose of Draft Mode?

It helps test ideas quickly and cheaply before you upscale or refine.

6. Can I still use V6 after V7 becomes default?

Yes, V6 will remain available. You can switch between models in Settings.

7. Why are some V6 SREF codes not working well in V7?

V7 processes references differently. Some codes translate well, while others need adjustments. Updates will improve compatibility.

Final Thoughts

After weeks of using MidJourney V7, I can say that it’s a solid step forward in photo quality and prompt flexibility. Some features are still being tuned, and others like video generation and improved upscaling are just around the corner.

V7 is still in alpha, so expect more updates and surprises in the coming weeks.