Create, use and manage your avatar on YouTube

An avatar builds on existing Ingredients to video features in YouTube's creation tools, making it easier and more accurate to add yourself into your videos. Avatars create a digital version of yourself so that you can generate videos that look and sound like you, safely and securely. Create your AI avatar from the YouTube mobile app or on the YouTube Create app. Only you can use your avatar to create original videos, you can delete it at any time and all output is labelled as AI.

Important: The YouTube AI Features Privacy Notice applies to avatars on YouTube. Learn more about our privacy policies on AI-generated content. All content on YouTube, including AI-generated creations from these tools, must follow our Community Guidelines.

Note: This feature will be rolling out gradually.

Learn what you need

To create an avatar, you need to be:

• 18 years of age or older
• The channel owner of an existing YouTube channel

Create your own avatar

Using a secure 'live selfie' capture process, you'll record your face and voice to create your avatar. You only have to create your avatar once, either from the YouTube app or the YouTube Create app .

Note: If you create, update or delete your avatar in one app, those changes will automatically be reflected in the other app.

To create your avatar from the YouTube app:

1. Sign in to the YouTube app on your mobile device.
2. Tap Create tap in the top-right corner to open AI playground.
3. Tap Create video Make a video with my avatar.
4. Follow the on-screen prompts to record your selfie and voice.
5. Preview your avatar. Tap Next to use the avatar or Retake to record again.
6. Once your avatar is complete, type a prompt to generate a video with your avatar, such as 'I am flying high in the sky, up above the clouds, saying "I can fly!"'
7. Tap to generate.

On eligible Shorts in the Shorts Feed, you can also create your avatar and add it directly into the Short:

1. Tap Remix Reimagine.
2. Tap Add me to this scene.

To create your avatar from the YouTube Create app:

1. Sign in to the YouTube Create app on your mobile device.
2. On the My avatar homepage banner, tap .
3. Follow the on-screen prompts to record your selfie and voice.
4. Preview your avatar. Tap Next to use the avatar or Start again to record again.
5. Once your avatar is complete, type a prompt to generate a video with your avatar, such as 'I am flying high in the sky, up above the clouds, with my cat for company'.
6. Tap to generate.

Tips to record your face and voice

To make sure that your recording is accepted, follow these tips:

• Phone position: Hold your phone at eye level and stay in the centre of the screen.
• Lighting: Use lighting that isn't too dim or too bright.
• Visibility: Make sure that your eyes, nose and mouth are visible. It's fine to keep your glasses on, but no sunglasses, masks or hats.
• Audio environment: Choose a quiet area to record your voice. There should be no other voices in the background.
• Background: Check that there are no people or images of faces in your background.
• Account owner: The account owner must complete this process. Do not allow minors to record themselves.
• Selfie direction: Follow the prompts to perform an action. After following the prompts, you'll need to bring your face back to the centre.

Use your avatar to create videos

Once you've created your avatar, you can add it to videos during the creation process.

To use your avatar from the YouTube app:

1. Open the YouTube app on your mobile device.
2. Tap Create tap in the top-right corner to open AI playground.
3. Tap Create video Make a video with my avatar.

On eligible Shorts in the Shorts Feed, you can also add your avatar directly into the Short:

1. Tap Remix Reimagine.
2. Tap Add me to this scene.

To use your avatar from the YouTube Create app:

1. Open the YouTube Create app on your mobile device.
2. Tap Generate video. From the prompt page, your avatar will appear below as an option to add.
3. Tap on your avatar to use it as a reference in your prompt.

Manage your avatar

You can retake or delete your avatar at any time. Once you have uploaded videos containing your avatar, you can choose to delete the video or limit remixing of your video by others.

Important: Avatars and videos are managed separately. Deleting your avatar will not automatically delete the videos that you've published or their remixes. Deleting a video that contains your avatar will not delete your avatar from your account.

Retake or delete your avatar

Note: If your avatar is not used to create new content for three years, it will be deleted automatically.

Retake or delete your avatar from the YouTube app

You can retake or delete your avatar at any time once it has been added in the video creation process. For example, if you are creating a video from AI playground: 

1. Tap Create tap in the top-right corner to open AI playground.
2. Tap Create video Make a video with my avatar.
3. Tap Edit on your avatar. This will open your avatar in editing mode.

• To retake your avatar, tap Retake at the bottom.
• To delete your avatar, tap the bin in the top-right corner. Tap Delete to confirm.

Retake or delete your avatar from the YouTube Create app

1. Tap the You tab in the bottom right.
2. Tap Manage avatar.

• To retake your avatar, tap Update avatar .
• To delete your avatar, tap Delete avatar .

When you delete your avatar:

• Your recorded selfie and voice data for that avatar is permanently removed from YouTube.
• You can't create new AI-generated content with that avatar. To create new content, you will need to create a new avatar by recording your selfie and voice.

Manage content with your avatar

Delete a video with your avatar

You can delete videos containing your avatar that you have uploaded on your channel at any time. Learn more about deleting videos.

1. Open the YouTube app .
2. Tap the You tab in the bottom right Your videos .
3. Next to the video that you want to delete, select More Delete .
4. Tap Delete to confirm.

Limit or remove remixes of videos using your avatar

You are always in control of who can remix your Shorts and can opt out.

If you opt your Short out of video remixing after publishing it, this will also delete any video remixes of that Short. Partners who have access to YouTube Studio Content Manager can opt them out of both audio and video remixing.

You can opt your Shorts out of video remixing by following these steps:

1. Sign in to YouTube Studio on your computer.
2. From the left menu, click Content.
3. Click a video title or thumbnail.
4. Scroll click Show more.
5. Scroll to find 'Shorts remixing' choose Allow only audio remixing.
6. Click Save.

Common questions about using avatars on YouTube

Will videos generated using an avatar contain AI disclosures?

Yes, all videos generated with an avatar will have YouTube's AI disclosure. Any video generated using this feature and downloaded or published will include visible watermarks and digital labels like SynthID and C2PA to disclose it as AI-generated content.

How is my data collected and used?

Google protects your privacy and provides you with control of your avatar. Learn more about how your data is collected and used.

How do I submit feedback about avatars on YouTube?

We are constantly working on product improvements and would appreciate your feedback.

To provide feedback on the YouTube app :

1. From the generated video preview, tap the three dots  in the top right.
2. Tap Something wrong?
3. Write your feedback  tap Share feedback.

To provide feedback on the YouTube Create app :

1. From the generated video preview, tap  in the top right.
2. Write your feedback.
3. Tap to submit.