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SPECIFICTION
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Deep Nostalgia

myheritage.com

From $3.08/mo Free plan WebiOSAndroid
Visit myheritage.com
Spec score 9.1 #2 of 27 in Photo Animation Software

What it is

Deep Nostalgia turns faces in still photographs into short videos that simulate movement, including smiling, blinking, and turning the head. It works with color and black-and-white images and is available on the web and in the MyHeritage app for Android and iOS. Users can start from the feature's landing page, the My Photos section of a MyHeritage family site, or the mobile app. Photos not already enhanced on MyHeritage are enhanced automatically during animation. The result can be shared through Facebook or Twitter, sent as a link, or downloaded as an MP4 video. MyHeritage says the animation technology is licensed from D-ID and guided by pre-recorded driver videos. Several general animations are available for free; a Complete subscription allows unlimited and special animations. Only faces detected by the algorithm can be animated, and each detected face must be processed separately. MyHeritage describes the result as a technological simulation and marks it with an icon. Animations from users without a paid plan display a MyHeritage logo watermark; paid-plan videos can be logo-free.

Spec sheet

What it does
Deep Nostalgia turns faces in still family photographs into short AI-generated videos with movements such as blinking, smiling and head turns.Read 15 Oct 2026 · myheritage-storage.com
Purpose
Deep Nostalgia animates faces in still photos to create short videos depicting how a person might have moved and looked on video.Read 30 Sep 2026 · myheritage.com
Support
MyHeritage offers support through its Help Center and Contact Us form, with email inquiries and possible scheduled outbound calls.Read 30 Sep 2026 · myheritage.com
Headquarters
IsraelRead 28 Sep 2026 · myheritage.com
Founded
2021Read 28 Sep 2026 · myheritage.com
Company
MyHeritage says it was founded by Gilad Japhet in 2003 and is headquartered in Israel.Read 30 Sep 2026 · myheritage.com
Account requirement
Users must create or use a free MyHeritage account after uploading a photo.Read 15 Oct 2026 · myheritage.com
Animation
The animations can show a person smiling, blinking, and turning their head, and the feature works with black-and-white and color photos.Read 30 Sep 2026 · myheritage.com
Animation drivers
The service applies pre-recorded driver videos prepared by MyHeritage to control facial gestures.Read 15 Oct 2026 · myheritage-storage.com
API status
An independent API directory reports that MyHeritage’s former FamilyGraph public API has been retired and that its developer hosts now redirect or no longer resolve.Read 15 Oct 2026 · apis.io
Authenticity
MyHeritage describes the output as a technological simulation and marks animated photos with an icon to distinguish them from originals.Read 30 Sep 2026 · myheritage.com
Authenticity labeling
Animated outputs carry motion and enhancement icons so viewers can distinguish simulations from original photographs.Read 15 Oct 2026 · myheritage.com
Company founded
LinkedIn lists MyHeritage as founded in 2003.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
Company headquarters
LinkedIn lists the headquarters in Or Yehuda, Israel.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
Company size
LinkedIn displays 528 employees on the company profile and classifies the company size as 201–500 employees.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
Detection limitation
Faces that the algorithm fails to detect cannot be animated.Read 15 Oct 2026 · myheritage.com
Existing photos
Photos already stored in a MyHeritage family site can be animated from the My Photos section.Read 15 Oct 2026 · myheritage.com
Face detection
Uploaded photographs are scanned for faces, and the user chooses which detected face to animate.Read 15 Oct 2026 · myheritage.com
Face detection limit
Only faces detected by the algorithm can be animated, and multiple detected faces must be animated one at a time.Read 30 Sep 2026 · myheritage.com
Free use and subscription limit
Non-paying users can create several animations for free, while a Complete subscription allows unlimited animations and special animations.Read 30 Sep 2026 · education.myheritage.com
Independent coverage
Le Monde described Deep Nostalgia as an Israeli MyHeritage AI process that produces a short animation of a photographed face in under twenty seconds.Read 15 Oct 2026 · lemonde.fr
Launch news
MyHeritage announced Deep Nostalgia in February 2021 as a new feature for animating faces in family photographs.Read 15 Oct 2026 · blog.myheritage.com
Legacy SDK
MyHeritage’s public Family Graph Android SDK repository is Java code under the Apache License 2.0 and includes a sample app showing authorization and API calls.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Limit: failed animations
The same reviewer encountered photographs that could not be animated after waiting for processing.Read 15 Oct 2026 · tsgspaddlewheel.com
Limit: subscription billing complaint
An App Store reviewer reported being charged $99 plus tax after believing a free trial had been cancelled and warned users to cancel well before expiry.Read 15 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
Limit: support response time
A Trustpilot reviewer complained that responses to fault calls could take weeks.Read 15 Oct 2026 · trustpilot.com
Limit: uncanny results
MyHeritage acknowledges that some people find the animations uncanny or uncomfortable.Read 15 Oct 2026 · blog.myheritage.com
Limit: unexpected paywall
The independent reviewer reported that a free account allowed only a limited number of animations and that payment was requested after uploads without clear advance notice.Read 15 Oct 2026 · tsgspaddlewheel.com
Mobile availability
Deep Nostalgia is available in the free MyHeritage app from the App Store and Google Play.Read 30 Sep 2026 · education.myheritage.com
Multiple faces limitation
Detected faces must be animated separately; the current feature cannot animate all faces in a photograph simultaneously.Read 15 Oct 2026 · myheritage.com
No speech
Driver videos contain no speech, which MyHeritage says is intended to reduce misuse for deepfake videos of living people.Read 15 Oct 2026 · blog.myheritage.com
Ownership
MyHeritage announced that Francisco Partners completed its acquisition of the company in April 2021.Read 15 Oct 2026 · blog.myheritage.com
Photo enhancement
A photo that has not already been enhanced on MyHeritage is enhanced automatically as part of the animation process.Read 30 Sep 2026 · education.myheritage.com
Photo plan scope
The Photo subscription bundles scanning, storage, sharpening, colorization, repair and face animation features.Read 15 Oct 2026 · myheritage.com
Platform availability
MyHeritage lists its mobile app, which includes photo animation, for both iOS and Android.Read 15 Oct 2026 · blog.myheritage.com
Praise: emotional value
An independent genealogical reviewer said the animations made ancestors feel more alive and were compelling to revisit.Read 15 Oct 2026 · tsgspaddlewheel.com
Praise: restoration and animation
An App Store reviewer praised the app for repairing, colorizing and animating old photographs and described the result as emotionally powerful.Read 15 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
Privacy processing
MyHeritage says photo animation and enhancement occur on its servers and that photos and videos are not shared with third parties.Read 15 Oct 2026 · blog.myheritage.com
Processing speed
MyHeritage says animating one face usually takes about 10–20 seconds.Read 15 Oct 2026 · myheritage.com
Rating on Apple App Store
4.9 out of 5 from 66K ratingsRead 15 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
Rating on Google Play
4.4 out of 5 from 258K reviewsRead 15 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
Rating on Trustpilot
4.4 out of 5 from 108,259 reviewsRead 15 Oct 2026 · trustpilot.com
Security incident
MyHeritage reported that a 2017 breach exposed email addresses and hashed passwords for 92,283,889 users, disclosed on June 4, 2018.Read 15 Oct 2026 · blog.myheritage.com
Sharing and download
Users can share an animation through Facebook or Twitter, copy a link, or download the video in MP4 format.Read 30 Sep 2026 · myheritage.com
Sharing and export
Animations can be shared through Facebook, Twitter or a copied link and downloaded as MP4 files.Read 15 Oct 2026 · myheritage.com
Support documentation
The Help Center provides a dedicated Deep Nostalgia article plus broader photo, mobile-app and subscription documentation.Read 15 Oct 2026 · myheritage.com
Technology
MyHeritage says the animation technology is licensed from D-ID and uses pre-recorded driver videos to guide facial movements.Read 30 Sep 2026 · myheritage.com
Technology supplier
MyHeritage states that the underlying face-animation technology was licensed from D-ID.Read 15 Oct 2026 · myheritage-storage.com
Watermark
Animations made by users without a paid MyHeritage plan display the MyHeritage logo watermark; paid-plan animations can be logo-free.Read 30 Sep 2026 · education.myheritage.com
Watermark limitation
Free animations include a MyHeritage logo watermark, while Complete subscribers can create logo-free animations.Read 15 Oct 2026 · education.myheritage.com
Ways to use it
Photos can be animated from the Deep Nostalgia landing page, the My Photos section of a MyHeritage family site, or the MyHeritage mobile app.Read 30 Sep 2026 · education.myheritage.com

Plans and prices

Deep Nostalgia free access Free Several animations for free · general animations · free MyHeritage sign-up Read 30 Sep 2026 · education.myheritage.com
Free Deep Nostalgia Free Several animations · MyHeritage account required · Logo watermark Read 15 Oct 2026 · education.myheritage.com
Photo Subscription for Complete subscribers $37 a year annually Same Photo plan features at a 25% discount Read 15 Oct 2026 · blog.myheritage.com
Photo Subscription $49.90 a year annually Unlimited photo scanning and storage · AI enhancement, colorization, repair and animation · 20 LiveMemory videos annually Read 15 Oct 2026 · blog.myheritage.com

Every Deep Nostalgia plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Works with color and black-and-white photographs
  • Available on web, Android, and iOS
  • Animations can be downloaded as MP4
  • Several general animations are available for free

Limits

  • Only algorithm-detected faces can be animated
  • Detected faces must be animated one at a time
  • Free-plan videos display a MyHeritage logo watermark

Who it suits

Deep Nostalgia suits people who want to create and share short animated versions of still photos through a browser or mobile app. Users should consider its face-detection limits and the watermark on free-use videos.

Verdict

Deep Nostalgia offers a defined photo-animation workflow with mobile access and MP4 export. Its output is a marked simulation, and free use comes with a logo watermark.

Where Specifiction places it

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