Animate an Old Photo in ChatGPT: Our GIF Test (2026)
Since November 4, 2026, ChatGPT turns a photo into a GIF. We tested it on 3 old family photos against a real video: what it keeps, and what it redraws.
AI & Technology Writer, Incarn
In short
Since November 4, 2026, ChatGPT can animate a photo: it draws a few images (4 to 12 in our test) and strings them into a 4-second GIF. On a single portrait, the face stays close to the original. But the whole photo is redrawn, starting image included: on our couple photo, the woman's face no longer quite matched. An Incarn video starts and ends on your original photo (first animation free, then €1.99 per photo), and works inside ChatGPT through the Incarn app where apps are available. For a drawing or a meme, ChatGPT's GIF is enough.
Yes, ChatGPT can now animate a photo. Since November 4, 2026, it turns it into a GIF: a short silent clip that plays on a loop. We tried it on three old family photos, and animated the same ones with Incarn to compare.
The result is more nuanced than the hype. On a single portrait, ChatGPT does well. On a busier photo, it redraws the faces, and it's no longer quite your family.
What does ChatGPT do when you ask it to animate a photo?
ChatGPT draws several versions of your photo, each with a small change (eyes closed, a smile), then strings them into a GIF, like a flipbook. It isn't a video: the photo doesn't move, it gets redrawn for each image.
The feature came with OpenAI's new image model, Images 2.6. You can start from a photo or a plain text prompt, set the speed of the GIF, then edit the images one by one. According to The Decoder, it is rolling out to all ChatGPT users, on the web and in the apps, so it doesn't show up everywhere yet.
The Neuron, which tested it on a drawing of a cat, describes how it works: ChatGPT makes a sheet of several images, then a small script cuts them out and assembles them. Their GIF was 448 × 448 pixels, lasted 1.4 seconds and took a little over two minutes. They also note that ChatGPT can't edit a GIF you upload: you have to start from a still image.
Our test: three old photos, on the same day
We picked three public domain photos, from easy to hard:
- a portrait of an elderly woman, from the 1850s-1860s (The Met);
- a portrait of a man from the late 19th century (Library of Congress, C.M. Bell studio);
- a full-length photo of a couple, with two small faces (State Library Victoria).
On the ChatGPT side, we used its image tool from Codex, OpenAI's assistant tied to the same ChatGPT account, with the same request for all three photos: make a GIF where the people blink and smile gently, keeping their faces exactly. On the Incarn side, we uploaded the same photos with the default settings. In both cases we kept the first result, with no retries. Test run on November 8, 2026.
The GIF button in the ChatGPT app may give a slightly different size or length. The principle is the same: images drawn, then assembled.
Left, ChatGPT's GIF: 5 poses in a row. Right, the Incarn video: continuous motion. Portrait of an elderly woman, Franz Antoine, 1850s-1860s, The Met, public domain.
ChatGPT vs Incarn: the numbers from our test
| In our test | ChatGPT (GIF) | Incarn (video) |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Animated GIF, looping | MP4 video |
| Length | 4 seconds | 5 seconds |
| Different images | 4 to 12 | 121 |
| Frame rate | 10 frames per second | 24 frames per second |
| Starting point | a redrawn version of the photo | your photo, as is |
| Size | from 313 × 418 to 1088 × 1447 pixels | 834 × 1112 pixels (portrait) |
| Price | included in ChatGPT | first animation free, then €1.99 per photo |
The number of different images is what your eye notices. With 4 to 12 drawings, the face jumps from one pose to the next. With 121 frames, it moves continuously.
What ChatGPT does well
On the portrait of the elderly woman, ChatGPT kept a very close face from one pose to the next: same gaze, same wrinkles, same lace bonnet. For a simple, front-facing photo, the result holds up.
The GIF has other strengths. It's included in ChatGPT, it can be shared anywhere, and you can edit each image or change the speed. For a drawing, a meme or a funny birthday message, it's a very good tool.
Where it falls short on a family photo
ChatGPT doesn't make your photo move: it draws a copy of it. That's the main limit, and it showed up in three ways in our test.
The face can change, even at rest. On the couple photo, the very first image of the GIF, which should reproduce the photo, shows a woman with a thinner face, a softer mouth and a younger look. A stranger won't notice. Her grandson will.
Left, the original photo. Right, the first image of ChatGPT's GIF. Carte de visite of a couple, R. S. Stacy studio, North Adelaide, late 19th century, State Library Victoria.
The photo loses its original look. The grain, the spots and the softness of the period are replaced by a smoother, sharper picture. The GIF looks like a nice reproduction, not quite like the photo from the shoebox.
The motion comes in jumps. For the man's portrait, ChatGPT drew a sheet of 12 small frames, then played them in sequence. From one frame to the next, the angle of the head and the shape of the beard shift slightly, and each image is only 313 × 418 pixels.
The sheet ChatGPT drew before assembling the GIF. Portrait of a man, C.M. Bell studio, Washington, late 19th century, Library of Congress.
ChatGPT GIF or Incarn video: which one should you use?
Use ChatGPT for fun, and Incarn to keep a memory. The GIF is great for a drawing, a meme or a playful message. For the face of someone you loved, to show at a gathering or send to the family, you're better off with an animation that doesn't redraw the photo.
An Incarn video starts and ends on your original photo. In between, the face blinks, smiles and breathes continuously, for 5 seconds. On the Incarn website, you upload the photo and get the video back in under two minutes. The first animation is free, then €1.99 per photo, down to €0.80 per photo in a pack of 50, with no subscription.
What about Sora, OpenAI's video app?
The Sora app is no longer an option: on March 24, 2026, OpenAI announced it was shutting down its video app and its API. For most people, ChatGPT's GIF has taken over.
How do you get a real video inside ChatGPT?
If you want a real video without leaving the chat, there is an Incarn app: an outside service that ChatGPT calls during the conversation. It sends your photo to a video model tuned for old portraits and shows the result right in the chat.
Apps in ChatGPT are not offered in every country. When they launched, several sources, including TechCrunch, reported that they were not available in the European Union, the United Kingdom or Switzerland. If you can't find apps at all, it is most likely an availability question, not a mistake on your side.
Where apps are available, you need an Incarn API key, which comes with a developer plan: €19, €69 or €249 per month excl. VAT for 25, 130 or 650 animations. You create it in your developer space.
- In ChatGPT, open the app directory (the Plugins tab), search for Incarn and click +.
- On Incarn's authorization page, paste your API key (it starts with
ik_live_) and click Authorize. You type the key only once, never in the chat. - On chatgpt.com, attach the photo and ask: "@Incarn animate this photo of my great-grandmother, taken in 1931."
After about two minutes, a before/after player appears in the conversation, with a link to the video. On the mobile app, the attached file doesn't always reach the app: use chatgpt.com, or give a direct link to the image (it must open the image itself, not a web page).
If you use Claude instead, the same service works as a connector, including in countries where ChatGPT apps are not offered: see how to animate old photos in Claude and other MCP apps.
What won't animation do?
Whatever the tool, a few limits stay the same:
- No speech. Neither ChatGPT's GIF nor the Incarn video makes a face talk: they make it breathe, blink and smile.
- No public figures in the Incarn app and connector. They are meant for your own family photos and ancestors.
- No sound. A GIF is silent by nature, and so is the Incarn animation.
Going further
Our guide to animating a photo for free compares the options available today. If you already use ChatGPT for your family history, see the best AI tools for genealogy. And if you are a developer, our comparison of the APIs to animate old photos covers the market.
AI & Technology Writer, Incarn
Thomas covers AI and machine learning applications for creative tools. Former research engineer with a focus on computer vision and video generation.