Google has been rolling out a feature called Avatar inside the Gemini app that lets you create an AI clone of your own face and voice, then use it to star in AI-generated videos. It started reaching paid subscribers more broadly in early June 2026, and if you use Gemini, you'll likely run into it sooner or later — either your own version or, eventually, a friend's.
How it works. Avatar creation starts inside the Gemini app: tap "Add Files" in the message box and choose Avatar, then scan the QR code that appears using your phone. From there, you'll be asked to look into the camera, turn your head a few different ways, and read some numbers aloud so the system can map your face and voice. The whole thing takes a few minutes. Afterward, you can bring your avatar into a conversation by typing "@me" or your name, and Gemini's video-generation model — called Omni — can produce short videos where you appear to be speaking, using your actual face and voice.
Who can use it. Avatar requires a paid Google AI plan (Plus, Pro, or Ultra) — it isn't available on the free tier. You also need to be 18 or older, and you have to be the one physically present during setup; you can't create an avatar of someone else from a photo.
The safety guardrail worth knowing about. Every video Gemini generates with Avatar carries an invisible SynthID watermark baked into the file. It doesn't change what the video looks like, but it lets tools inside Chrome and Google Search confirm a clip was AI-generated — useful if you ever need to check whether a video that looks like you (or someone else) is real.
What's not here yet. Some device teardowns of the Gemini app in early July 2026 turned up unreleased text referencing avatar sharing — the ability to send your AI avatar to someone else so they could use it to generate their own videos. That feature hasn't launched and Google hasn't confirmed a date; app teardowns regularly surface things that change or never ship, so treat it as a preview of a possible direction, not an announcement.
For now, the practical takeaway is simpler: if a video shows up that looks and sounds exactly like someone you know, "AI clone" tools like this are a big part of why that's now possible with nothing more than a phone camera and a few minutes. Our guide on how to tell if a video call is a deepfake covers ways to check when it matters.