FaceApp: AI Face Editor

App review by Patricia Monticello Kievlan, Common Sense Media
FaceApp: AI Face Editor Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 14+

Transform your selfie; limited features, some ads.

iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android Free Photo & Video
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Parents say

age 13+

Based on 1 review

Kids say

age 10+

Based on 1 review

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this app.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that FaceApp is a photo app that lets users snap a selfie and manipulate it with a few key filters. There are only a few choices: You can make yourself older or younger, swap your gender, or add a smile. In addition to letting you take a photo, the app lets you select photos from any other app on your device for which you've enabled the camera. FaceApp caught some negative media attention in spring 2017 when another filter, called "Hot" and then "Spark," was introduced, intending to alter images to make them more attractive; users posted images online showing that this feature lightened dark skin and altered facial features to make them look more European. This feature has since been removed and isn't available at the time of this writing. In 2019 it's also has gotten a lot of attention around privacy concerns, including questions about uploading your picture to process off of your device, overriding your phone's permissions, and sharing data with third parties. Though there are valid privacy concerns when uploading photos to apps like this one, many privacy experts feel the concerns around this app's privacy aren't substantially different from other apps like it. You can read the developer's response to consumer concerns here. The app's free version includes ads along the bottom of the screen; the paid version removes the ads but has no additional features. Read the developer's privacy policy for details on how your (or your kids') information is collected, used, and shared, and any choices you may have in the matter, and note that privacy policies and terms of service frequently change.

Community Reviews

SauceGod
SauceGod Adult
July 27, 2019
age 13+

Thin, yet intriguing facial app raises privacy concerns

FaceApp is an interesting app that uses your face and creates a picture of what you might look like if you were older or younger, or if you changed genders. It also has a “Pro” version that costs money and has a few other advantages, but not any that would justify its pricetag, in my opinion. It has a few other options, though admittedly it isn’t much more than that. Its paper-thin feature list was interesting while it lasted, but you’ll probably end up like me and have the app installed for less than five minutes. It’s not a bad app, just not one that serves any purpose other than to make you say “Oh, that’s cool” and press the uninstall button subsequently after. In that case, it served its purpose quite well. FaceApp has also caught some heat for the privacy concerns that it brings. It does store your images and data into its system, but the developer claimed the data is processed into Google Cloud and Amazon Web Services. Senator Chuck Schumer, however, has called for the app to be investigated by the FBI due to its supposed invasions of privacy, and suspicions that the data is being transferred to Russia, the app’s country of origin. All of this does bring to the forefront something that I feel like many don’t discuss enough, and that is user privacy. Many apps have been suspected of violating user privacy, including Facebook, so dialogue over FaceApp and its handling of user data is very important and serves as a reminder to always know what you’re installing. Don’t mindlessly install something just to do it. Read the terms and conditions that go with the app, and be knowledgeable of what apps can do with your data if you allow them to. Honestly, I find the concerns raised against FaceApp to be a tad overblown, as many more popular (and American) apps provide more glaring examples of misuse of user data, but at the same time, it is probably best suited for those who are more likely to understand the basis of privacy on the Internet more maturely. Because of this, it is best suited for teens (13+) and mature tweens (11-12+).

This title has:

Easy to play/use
Too much consumerism
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What’s It About?

FACEAPP: AI FACE EDITOR is a photo app that lets you manipulate images with a series of filters. First, you can either snap a selfie or select a picture from your camera roll or from another social media app like Instagram, Face Swap Live, Twitter, or WhatsApp. You can then apply a filter that adds a smile, makes you look older or younger, or makes you look more masculine or more feminine. You can then share one image or a collage of images by saving it to your device or sharing it on social media. The free version of the app features ads at the bottom of the screen; the paid version removes ads and allows you remove the FaceApp logo from your exported images.

Is It Any Good?

Your first spin through the features is pretty fun, but the appeal may be short-lived. It's weirdly absorbing to snap a selfie and see it alongside more masculine and more feminine versions of your face. The smile filter is pretty neat, too: While some other apps' filters twist and contort your face into clearly impossible shapes, FaceApp: Neural Face Transformations creates remarkable, realistic images. However, that's really all there is to it. Fans of Snapchat and other photo apps may be surprised to see that there are really only a handful of features, and the paid version doesn't offer more options -- it just removes the ads. Overall, this is an amusing app to try once or twice, but look elsewhere for more features and more interesting ways to share.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what it means to take photos and manipulate images with apps like FaceApp. When is that fun, and when might it not be OK?

  • Talk about sharing things online. What's entertaining and funny to post, and what's not?

App Details

  • Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android
  • Pricing structure: Free ($3.99 for Pro version)
  • Release date: May 4, 2017
  • Category: Photo & Video
  • Publisher: Wireless Lab OOO
  • Version: 1.0.12
  • Minimum software requirements: iOS 8.0 or later; Android 4.4 and up
  • Last updated: July 18, 2019

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