How to face swap a video in Magic Hour: step by step

What you need

• A short video in which the target face is clearly visible.
• A clear replacement portrait, preferably at a compatible angle.
• Permission to use both the likeness and the footage in your intended context.
• A browser and a compatible upload; no local AI installation is required.

The guest workflow is separate from account credits and rewards. An old allowance expressed as “400 free frames” is not a current universal limit.

Step 1: Open the video tool

Go directly to video face swap. Make sure you selected video rather than photo or GIF face swap. Review the current input and output limits before choosing a long source clip.

Magic Hour input workflow, captured September 25, 2026. This shows the upload or prompt controls, not a completed generation. View official source

Step 2: Upload a focused clip

Choose a sequence where the face stays visible. Motion blur, sudden cuts, strong profile angles, and hands crossing the face make the job harder. For the free guest workflow, keep the clip within ten seconds.

Use the upload methods shown in the current interface. Do not assume that an older dashboard’s YouTube-import controls exist in the guest form.

Step 3: Add the replacement portrait

Choose even lighting and a face angle close to the source footage. Avoid filters that heavily alter facial geometry. Check any face-mapping controls for scenes containing more than one person.

Step 4: Generate the swap

Confirm the inputs and any displayed charge, then generate. Keep the job open or use the status available in your account. Queue time and processing vary; a fixed “under three minutes” claim is not a reliable guarantee for every clip.

Step 5: Review and download

Watch the whole result, not just the first frame. Look for unstable eyes, distorted teeth, a shifting jawline, and blending errors during movement. If needed, change the portrait or source segment and compare the revision with the original.

Which plan fits a finished project?

Check current pricing for the selected tool, model, and output settings. Do not choose a tier solely from its label; finish a representative project and estimate revisions first.

Improve a difficult result

Use a clearer source, a better-matched face angle, or a shorter unobstructed sequence. Review motion across frames. Upscaling the finished result cannot reliably repair a swap that used the wrong facial geometry.

Combine it with other workflows

For several people who need different replacements, use Multiple Face Swap Video and map each person separately. Use photo face swap for still images, lip sync to match speech in a video, or Talking Photo for a speaking portrait. Each tool has its own inputs and limits.

Publish with accurate context

Secure permission for the face and footage, check commercial terms, and apply any platform-specific disclosure requirements. A generated spokesperson should not be presented as a real customer giving a testimonial about an experience they never had.

Choose the next face-swap guide

Use the Magic Hour Face Swap overview to compare photo, video, GIF and multi-face routes. If a result flickers, blurs or blends poorly, follow the face-swap troubleshooting guide. To compare no-signup limits and watermarks across providers, use the free face-swap tools comparison.