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The best apps to make two people hug from a photo on iPhone (2026)

· 6 min read

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Short answer: an "AI hug" video takes a photo of two people, or one photo of each, and generates a few seconds of them turning to each other and hugging. On iPhone you can do it with a template app that has a hug button (Revive, Clone AI, the small "AI Kiss Video Maker" apps) or with a general AI video app where you describe the hug yourself (Dora). Templates are quicker; describing it gives you control over the camera, the setting and how long the hug lasts.

Everything about the other apps comes from their App Store listings in the US, checked on October 24, 2026. Ratings change daily.

Quick ranking

# App How you make the hug App Store rating (US)
1 Revive (Reface) A dedicated AI hug generator among many face effects 4.7 from about 25,000 ratings
2 Clone AI Hug videos are its headline feature, plus retro photos and styles 3.9 from 93 ratings
3 Dora Describe the hug on a photo of both people, or give one photo of each to a model that takes several 4.3 from 15 ratings
4 Hug AI: AI Kiss Video Maker Upload two photos and pick hug, kiss, dance or handshake 3.6 from 29 ratings
5 AI Kiss Video Maker: AI Hug Two photos into a hug or kiss video 3.0 from 22 ratings

1. Revive

Revive from Reface is the most established option. Its listing describes "the AI hug generator to produce adorable AI hug videos with loved ones", next to talking and singing photos, dancing photos and other face effects. With tens of thousands of ratings it is the safe choice if you want a one-tap template and don't mind the template look.

2. Clone AI

Clone AI puts hugs in its name: "Hug, Mermaid, Toon". Its listing invites you to create "Hug Videos and AI Retro Photos". It sells weekly and monthly subscriptions. Fewer ratings than Revive, but focused on exactly this effect.

3. Dora

Dora is a general AI video generator, not a hug template, so you write the movement. That is more work than a button, and it is also the reason to use it: you choose the camera, the mood and the setting, and you can try the same photo on several models.

  • From one photo of both people: add the photo and describe the hug. The iPhone app suggests this exact prompt for photos with people: "The people in the photo hug and laugh together, handheld camera."
  • From two separate photos: SeeDance 2.0 and Gemini Omni accept up to 7 reference photos, so you can add one photo of each person and describe them meeting and hugging. SeeDance 1.5 Pro takes a first and a last frame. (Read from the app's model list, AIModel.swift, version on the App Store on October 23, 2026.)
  • Shape and length: vertical 9:16 for Reels and TikTok or horizontal 16:9, depending on the model.
  • Timing we measured: a 4-second 480p vertical clip from a photo took 30 seconds on October 23, 2026 (how we timed it).
  • Worth knowing: there is no free tier; generating uses coins from a plan (pricing). Some models refuse photos of public figures or images their filters flag; another model may accept the same photo.

Dora is on the App Store and on the web at doravideo.com.

4 and 5. The small hug and kiss makers

Several small apps do only this: upload two photos, choose hug or kiss, get a clip. "Hug AI: AI Kiss Video Maker" also offers dances and handshakes. They are simple, but their ratings are low and based on few reviews, so read the latest reviews and the subscription terms before you pay.

How to get a hug that looks natural

  1. Use a photo where both faces are clear, similar size and well lit. If you start from two photos, pick ones with similar light and angle.
  2. Describe one movement: "they turn to each other and hug, slow push-in". Not a hug, a kiss and a scene change in four seconds.
  3. Keep it short. Four to six seconds is enough for a hug; longer clips drift.
  4. Match the shape to where you will post: 9:16 for Reels, Stories and TikTok.
  5. Try two models with the same photo and keep the better take.
  6. Ask before you post. If the people in the photo are real, get their OK, and label realistic AI videos where the platform asks you to (TikTok and YouTube both do).

Which one should you use?

  • One tap, fun result: Revive.
  • An app built only around hugs: Clone AI, or one of the small hug and kiss makers if you've read their reviews.
  • Control over the scene and a choice of models, on iPhone and web: Dora.

For other ways to make a photo move, see the best apps to turn a photo into a video on iPhone.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make an AI hug video from a photo on iPhone?

Use a template app with a hug effect, such as Revive or Clone AI, and upload the photo; or use an AI video app such as Dora, add a photo of both people and describe the movement, for example "the people in the photo hug and laugh together, handheld camera".

Can I make two people hug if they are in different photos?

Yes. Some apps, such as Hug AI: AI Kiss Video Maker, ask for two photos. In Dora, SeeDance 2.0 and Gemini Omni accept up to 7 reference photos, so you can add one of each person and describe them hugging.

Is there a free AI hug video app?

The hug apps in this list are free to download and sell subscriptions or credits inside the app; check each listing's in-app purchases before you start. Dora has no free tier: generating uses coins from a plan.

Why does the AI refuse my photo?

Video models have safety filters. Some refuse photos of public figures, minors or images they flag as unsafe. Try a different photo or a different model; in Dora several models accept photos, and their filters differ.

Is it OK to make an AI hug video of real people?

Ask the people in the photo first, especially before posting. TikTok and YouTube require a label on realistic AI-generated content, and making real people appear to do things they did not do can break platform rules.

Sources

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