The almost-right image is a familiar frustration: the scene works, but an object is misplaced or the lettering has gone astray. Midjourney is testing a way to give that image another pass. Its Thinking Mode, announced on 8 October, reviews an existing result against the prompt and generates again. Early user examples suggest it can produce a more convincing image—but sometimes the version with fewer rough edges also loses some of its character.
Based on 7 reviewed sources · See sources
A rerun that checks the brief
On the Alpha website, open an existing image in the enlarged viewer and select “Rerun (Thinking)” in the lower-right corner. Midjourney’s Alpha changelog specifies V8.2 jobs, including standard generations and edits. It describes checking for missed instructions—objects, layout, anatomy or text—before making another image.
The company’s announcement says its tests show improvements in prompt accuracy, typography and coherence. Those are Midjourney’s claims; the announcement gives no numerical evaluation. In a reply explaining the feature, the company describes rerunning the prompt with additional consideration of how the result could improve.
Midjourney invites users to test Thinking Mode on its Alpha website. The post’s claims about accuracy, typography and coherence come from the company.
View the original post on X ↗This remains an early test. A broader thinking option and the ability to add more thinking after a job are possible future directions, rather than confirmed releases. The announcement does not specify extra charges or a measured increase in generation time.
Better for which picture?
An image creator posting as Stentor shared three outputs labelled Draft, Enhance and Thought Rerun. The creator reports that the thinking rerun helped a promising draft where Enhance fell short. The attached giraffe images offer a concrete example to inspect, though the post does not provide the complete prompt, settings or repeated trials.
Marketer and designer Finn McKenty, whose profile lists a fractional CMO role at Brotege, takes a more qualified view in his before-and-after video. He reports more detail and realism, yet prefers the scruffier original stuffed elephant for the unsettling mood it creates. His verdict makes the distinction neatly:
“So far, I'd say it's more like "different" than "better" per se.”
These are selected creative experiences, not a benchmark or a survey of users. They point to two different questions: did the rerun follow the instructions more closely, and did it preserve the image’s intended feeling? A change can succeed at one while being less desirable at the other.
McKenty shows original and rerun images and explains why additional detail can change an aesthetic he preferred. This is his creative judgment, not a controlled performance evaluation.
View the original post on X ↗What the early examples show
Two original posts, with different comparisons and incomplete test conditions.
| Example | Comparison shown | Limit on the conclusion |
|---|---|---|
| Stentor | Three labelled images: Draft, Enhance and Thought Rerun. | Positive personal assessment; complete prompt, settings and repeated trials absent. |
| Finn McKenty | Video comparing originals above reruns; aesthetic judgment about detail and realism. | More detail need not fit the intended mood; no success rate or timing measurement. |
Keep the original in view
For creative work, the useful experiment is a comparison with a clear aim: the correct words, the requested arrangement or a particular mood. Keep the original beside the rerun and judge that aim directly. Thinking Mode offers another attempt at the image; the choice of which version belongs in the work still needs a creative judgment.
Sources
- Testing Thinking Mode
Midjourney · Announcement ·
- Alpha changelog: eligible V8.2 jobs and rerun behaviour
Midjourney · Documentation ·
- Original Thinking Mode announcement
Midjourney on X · Announcement ·
- Midjourney explains the rerun
Midjourney on X · Documentation ·
- Draft, Enhance and Thought Rerun example
Stentor on X · Research ·
- Before-and-after creative comparison
Finn McKenty on X · Research ·
- Finn McKenty’s public professional profile
Finn McKenty on X · Documentation
Written with AI assistance from the sources above. Analysis and practical implications are our interpretation. Our editorial approach.
