A short clip can pick up a new face when you have permission from everyone involved and a clear target photo. The free video face swap tool on CanvaPro maps a still portrait onto the person already in the footage, then returns a cleaned download. You do not need an account, and the usual file does not get a new watermark from the page.
The live form accepts a source video in MP4, MOV, or WEBM, up to 50 MB, and a target face in JPG, PNG, or WEBP, up to 20 MB. Only the first 15 seconds of the video are used. The trim is set from 0 to 15 seconds on the page, so longer files are processed as a short opening segment rather than the full length. There is no on-page preview. After you click Swap Faces, the job is queued and often takes a few minutes. You download the result when it is ready.
Consent comes first
Do not swap a face without the person’s agreement. That includes friends, colleagues, public figures, and anyone in the original clip. Use this for footage and portraits you have the right to edit, such as a consented mock, a private joke among people who agreed, or a character test you created yourself. Treating someone else’s likeness as a toy is not an acceptable use.
Test the likeness on a still first with the guide to swap faces in a photo, then move to the clip once the pair looks right.
What makes a good source clip and target photo
A clip with one clearly visible face, steady light, and limited rapid cutting gives the model more to lock onto. Heavy motion blur, tiny faces in a crowd, or constant profile turns make the swap less stable. Trim your export so the action you care about sits in the first 15 seconds.
The target photo should be a sharp, front-facing portrait with even light and an unobstructed face. Sunglasses, extreme angles, or a group shot usually work poorly. Crop so the face fills a generous portion of the still before you upload.
How to swap a face, step by step
- Get consent from the people in the video and from the person whose face you are mapping on.
- Upload the source clip as an MP4, MOV, or WEBM under 50 MB, with the moment you want inside the first 15 seconds.
- Upload the target face as a JPG, PNG, or WEBP under 20 MB.
- Complete the security check and click Swap Faces once. Leave the tab open while the job runs.
- Download the file when it is ready and watch it at full size. Check the eyes, mouth, and hairline as the head moves. Keep the original clip as your archive master.
Short clips, not feature films
This page is built for a brief segment, not a long interview or a full event video. If you need a later moment in a longer file, trim that 15-second window yourself and upload the cut. Creators use the tool for consented character tests and social hooks. Teams sometimes use it on internal mock footage they control. In every case, keep the clip short and the permissions clear.
An animated loop uses a different upload path, covered in how to swap a face in a GIF.
If the swap looks off or the job fails
Check the formats and size limits, and confirm the face in both the clip and the still is large and unobstructed. An expired security check or a busy queue can also stop a run. Recheck the first 15 seconds if the action you wanted sits later in the file.
If you only need to swap faces in a still photograph, use the face swap tool instead. That path is built for two photos rather than a moving clip, and it is usually the faster option when there is no video involved.
Uploads travel over HTTPS. Files are processed to complete your request and are not sold. Only upload media you have the right to use, and only with consent.
An animated loop uses a different upload path, covered by the GIF face swap tool, still with consent for every person.
After you download the swapped clip
Watch the 15-second result at full size, including turns of the head and any quick motion. If the face slips on a profile or a blurry frame, try a sharper target photo or a steadier source trim rather than running the same pair again and again. Keep the original clip and the target still in a folder with the export, along with a note that everyone involved agreed to the swap.
When you share the file, be honest that it is a face swap. Do not present it as real footage of the person in a situation they were never in, and do not use it for anything official, news-like, or harmful. A consented, clearly labelled short clip is the only kind of result that belongs off your own machine.
Watch the whole clip, and if the likeness slips, go back to the original footage and run the video swap tool again with a clearer target photo.
A short checklist
- Get consent, then upload an MP4, MOV, or WEBM under 50 MB and a target face under 20 MB.
- Keep the action inside the first 15 seconds of the clip.
- Click Swap Faces once and wait a few minutes for the download — there is no preview.
- Watch the saved file at full size before you share it, and keep the original video.
When you are ready, trim a consented 15-second window, add a clear portrait, and save the result only after you have reviewed the motion. One finished, authorized clip is worth more than a longer unauthorized file.