Reviewland
5 apps · Ranking
Best AI apps to make a family photo talk on iPhone
For a short talking message from a photo, Avatarify or Revive do this and use your own recording. For an old family portrait where movement is enough, MyHeritage is built around family history, though its listing does not promise speech. Dora only does talking on the web.
Before you animate someone, ask them, or the closest family if they have died. A voice or face made to say words someone never said can upset people. Say that it was made with AI when you share it, and do not use it to imitate someone to a person who could believe it.
At a glance
| App | Price (US) | What it does | Languages | App Store privacy label | Version (date) | Rating (US) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avatarify: AI Face Animator | Free to download; premium from $2.49 a week, $3.99 a month or $34.99 a year | Makes a face in a photo talk, sing or lip-sync | 11 | Data Used to Track You; Data Not Linked to You | 2.0.32 (12 Mar 2026) | 4.8 (44,677 ratings) |
| Revive: AI Face Photo Animator | Free to download; PRO from $3.49 a week; lifetime from $18.49 | Animated faces, talking photos and lip sync | 6 | Data Used to Track You; Data Not Linked to You | 4.18.0 (1 Jul 2026) | 4.7 (25,209 ratings) |
| MyHeritage: Family Tree & DNA | Free to download; subscriptions listed from $16.99 to $249.99 | Family tree app that animates family photos (Deep Nostalgia, LiveMemory) | 49 | Data Linked to You; Data Not Linked to You | 7.6.13 (28 Oct 2026) | 4.9 (66,488 ratings) |
| DORA · AI Video Generator | Pro weekly $6.99 for new subscribers, Pro yearly $119.99; coin packs $4.99 (300) to $224.99 (25,000) | A photo to a short video in the app; Lip Sync with your audio on the web | 11 | Data Used to Track You; Data Not Linked to You | 1.4.2 (26 Oct 2026) | 4.3 (16 ratings) |
| AI Avatar Generator - HeyGen | Free to download; Starter $10 a month, Creator $29, Pro $49 and up; credits from $4.99 | Business avatars; one face photo to a talking video | 3 | Data Used to Track You; Data Linked to You; Data Not Linked to You | 2.8.4 (27 Oct 2026) | 4.8 (30,380 ratings) |
Prices are in-app purchases listed on each US App Store page on 2 November 2026, and pages list only some. Ratings are that day's App Store average and count.
Avatarify: AI Face Animator
Best for: a short talking greeting from a photo, with your own recording.
- Upload a photo and record a short video or use audio, per its listing.
- Its listing mentions old photos and portraits, and personalized videos for family.
Limits: no version since March 2026, and much of the listing is about jokes and memes.
Revive: AI Face Photo Animator
Best for: paying once instead of every week.
- Lip sync with your own voice and expressions, per its listing.
- Lifetime purchases are listed at several prices, from $18.49 to $39.99.
Limits: built around funny filters and effects, so it is less suited to a serious portrait.
MyHeritage: Family Tree & DNA
Best for: old family photos, when moving is enough.
- Deep Nostalgia and LiveMemory animate historical and whole-family photos, per its listing.
- Sits alongside your family tree and records.
Limits: its listing promises movement, not speech, so it may not make anyone talk. It is a genealogy service first.
DORA · AI Video Generator
Best for: a clip of a set length, if you already have the audio.
- Lip Sync takes one photo and one audio file of up to 15 seconds, on doravideo.com.
- It runs in Safari on iPhone.
Limits: the iPhone app itself animates photos without speech: talking is web only. No free video.
AI Avatar Generator - HeyGen
Best for: reading a typed script, such as a longer family message.
- One face photo becomes a talking video, and a pasted script is spoken, per its listing.
Limits: made for business, with its examples aimed at agents and founders, so it costs more for one family message.
Who should use what
- A quick talking greeting: Avatarify.
- Paying once: Revive.
- Old photos that move: MyHeritage.
- You have the audio and want a set length: Dora, on the web.
- Reading a typed script: HeyGen.
Use cases
- A birthday message from a grandparent who agreed to record it.
- A family portrait for a reunion slideshow.
- A short thank-you clip for relatives far away.
- A blurry or scratched old portrait: restore it first with one of the AI photo enhancer apps for iPhone, then animate it.
How we checked
On 2 November 2026 we read each app's US App Store page and Apple's lookup data. What each app does comes from its own listing. We ran no quality test, so we do not say which one looks best.
Prices change often. Check inside each app before paying.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make a photo of a relative who has died talk?
Apps can do it, but it is a personal decision. Talk to the closest family first, and avoid putting words in their mouth that they never said. MyHeritage's movement without speech is a gentler option.
Should I clone a relative's voice?
Only with their clear permission. It is safer to record your own voice or to have them record the message, which Avatarify and Revive's listings allow for.
Which photo works best?
One clear face looking towards the camera is the usual advice. Results depend on the app, and we did not test them.
Does the Dora iPhone app make photos talk?
No. The iPhone app animates photos without speech. Lip Sync is on doravideo.com, with an audio file of up to 15 seconds.
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Sources
- Avatarify: AI Face Animator (App Store): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1512669147 (2 November 2026)
- Revive: AI Face Photo Animator (App Store): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1616862692 (2 November 2026)
- MyHeritage: Family Tree & DNA (App Store): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id477971748 (2 November 2026)
- DORA · AI Video Generator (App Store): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6754180384 (2 November 2026)
- AI Avatar Generator - HeyGen (App Store): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6711356409 (2 November 2026)
- Dora: best apps to make a photo talk (Lip Sync details): https://doravideo.com/blog/best-talking-photo-apps-iphone (2 November 2026)