Animate Old Photos with AI
Upload an old family photo and HeirloomPix turns it into an 8-second, 720p video: the people blink, breathe, turn slightly and smile, while the photo keeps its original look. Sign in with Google, use one video credit, and download the MP4 in a few minutes. Video packs start at $9.99 for 3, paid once.
Make your video
8 seconds · 720p · no sound · one video credit per video.
Old photo
One clear portrait or group photo. Faces should be visible.
JPEG, PNG or WebP up to 10 MB, between 64 and 8192 px per side
Uses 1 video credit. Sign in with Google first. If the video cannot be made or does not pass our safety check, the credit goes back to you.
What an animated old photo looks like
Photo to video AI takes one still image and imagines the few seconds around it. For an old portrait that means small, natural movement: eyes blink, shoulders rise with a breath, the head tilts a little and a smile appears. The camera pushes in very slowly. A black-and-white photo stays black-and-white, and film grain and tone are kept, so the result still feels like the original print rather than a modern remake.
We keep the motion gentle on purpose. When an AI model is asked for big movement, it has to invent parts of a face that the photo never showed, and the person can stop looking like themselves. Subtle motion keeps the people recognisable, which is what matters for a grandparent or a great-grandparent.
If the photo is scratched, faded or blurry, restore it first. A cleaner starting image gives the video model real detail to animate instead of damage. You can restore a photo on HeirloomPix and then animate the restored version.
Honest limitations
- Faces are animated by AI. The model aims to keep each person’s features, but it can change small details, especially in tiny or very blurry faces.
- Faces turned away from the camera stay mostly turned away; the tool does not reveal hidden features.
- Group photos work, but every face gets less attention than in a single portrait.
- Each video is 8 seconds, 720p and silent. Longer clips and sound are not available.
- Photos showing nudity, violence or other unsafe content are refused before any credit is used.
How to animate an old photo online
1
Scan or photograph the print
Scan at 600 dpi if you can, or photograph it flat in daylight without glare. Crop away the album page and borders.
2
Restore it first if it is damaged
Scratches, fading and blur are animated along with the faces. Repair them on HeirloomPix first and animate the restored copy.
3
Upload and make the video
Sign in with Google, choose the photo, tick the permission box and press Make my 8-second video. One video credit is used.
4
Watch and download
The video usually takes 1–3 minutes. Watch it on the page and download the MP4 within an hour.
Which photos animate best
One or two people, faces toward the camera
Portraits and close family photos give the clearest, most lifelike motion. Faces in profile move less.
Faces at least the size of a thumbnail
Tiny faces in a large group photo have little detail. Crop closer to the people before uploading.
Sharp enough to read the eyes
If you cannot see the eyes in the photo, the model has to guess them. Use a better scan or restore the photo first.
Keep the original
An animated video is a new interpretation, not a record. Keep the original photo and scan alongside it.
Video packs
One-time payment, not a subscription. Video credits never expire and work on every HeirloomPix video tool. Photo-restoration packs are separate.
One-time payment, not a subscription · $3.33 per video · Credits never expire
Frequently asked questions
Can I animate an old photo for free?
No. Making a video uses real computing for every clip, so videos are paid only and there is no free trial video. HeirloomPix does offer one free low-resolution photo restoration preview per day if you want to try the restoration tool first.
How much does it cost?
Videos use one-time video packs: $9.99 for 3 videos ($3.33 each) or $14.99 for 5 videos ($3.00 each). It is not a subscription and video credits never expire. There is no free video; if a video cannot be made or does not pass our safety check, the credit goes back to your account.
How long does it take to animate a photo?
In our tests the video step took about 1.5–2 minutes, plus upload and safety checks. Keep the page open; the video appears when it is ready. If you leave, come back to the same page in the same browser to see it.
Does the video have sound?
No. Each video is a silent 8-second, 720p MP4. You can add music or a voice-over in any phone editor, Instagram, TikTok or CapCut before you share it.
Will the people still look like themselves?
We ask the model for small, natural movement so it does not have to invent much. Clear, front-facing faces stay closest to the original. Very small, blurry or side-on faces can change; always compare the video with the photo.
Can I animate black-and-white photos?
Yes. Black-and-white photos stay black-and-white with their original grain. If you want color, colorize the photo first and animate the colorized copy.
What happens to my photos?
They are used only to make your video. Every photo and every finished video is safety-checked, and results are stored privately for your Google account. Our copies of uploads stop being accessible after 15 minutes and finished videos after 60 minutes, so download yours when it is ready. Our generation provider Kie keeps uploads up to 24 hours and results up to 14 days. We do not use your photos to train models.
Can I animate photos of children?
Yes, if you have the right to use the photo and a parent or guardian agrees for any child pictured. You confirm this with the permission box before each video.
Restore the photo first
A cleaner photo makes a better video. Repair scratches, fading or blur with HeirloomPix, then bring the restored photo to life.