Memorial
The people we love
don't have to fade.
Lover Snap helps you create new photographs with loved ones who are no longer with us — built with care, with consent, and with respect for grief.
Read our ethics commitment ↓Why we built this
I'm Jiuhong, the founder of Lover Snap. The first version of this app was a couple's photoshoot tool — a way for long-distance partners to take photos together. But within weeks of launch, people started writing in about a different use: photos with parents and grandparents and pets who had passed away. Photos for wedding albums where one chair was empty. Holiday photos that never got to happen.
That changed how we thought about the product. We sat with it. We talked to grief counselors. We decided early on what we wouldn't do — no photos of children, no simulated speech, no marketing the technology as "bringing someone back." A photograph honors memory; it doesn't replace it. That distinction is the most important thing about how Lover Snap works.
— Jiuhong Deng, founder · about
How memorial photos work, step by step
- 1
Find a few photos of the person you miss
3 to 16 photos with clear faces. They can be scanned, old, or recent — variety helps the AI learn their features. Skip photos where the face is obscured by sunglasses or hats.
- 2
Upload and train a private AI character
Training takes about 30 minutes. Only you can see the character. We never share it, never use it to train other models, and delete it within 30 days of account closure.
- 3
Pick a scene that feels right
A quiet kitchen. A church on a Sunday. The beach they always talked about. Scenes are configurable — choose the one that matters to you.
- 4
Generate up to 16 photos at once
Each photo takes about 23 seconds. Keep the ones that feel true; delete the rest. You're in control.
- 5
Optionally bring one to life as a Live Photo
Advanced subscribers can turn a still into a short Live Photo or video memory. We don't fabricate speech — just gentle motion.
See also: how to prepare reference photos.
Real stories
We only publish stories from people who have explicitly shared them with us. If you'd like to share yours, we'd love to hear it.
More stories coming. Would you like to share yours?
Share your storyEthics & dignity
Six commitments we hold ourselves to.
AI photography of loved ones — especially those who have passed — is ethically loaded. We don't take that lightly. These commitments aren't legalese; they're product rules baked into how Lover Snap is built.
- 1
Consent comes first
We never generate AI photos of someone unless the person uploading them attests they have the right to do so. You are the steward of your loved one's memory.
- 2
No minors
We never generate photos of children or teenagers, living or deceased. This is a permanent product policy, not a default we can toggle.
- 3
No simulated speech
Lover Snap does not generate audio, deepfake video conversations, or any media that puts words in a deceased person's mouth. We make photographs, not impersonations.
- 4
Private by default
Reference photos and trained characters are stored encrypted, used only for your generations, never used to train shared models, and deleted within 30 days of account closure.
- 5
Honest representation
Every generated photo carries content credentials so it can be identified as AI-generated. We never market memorial photos as "real" or "indistinguishable."
- 6
Grief support, not replacement
Lover Snap is a tool for honoring memory. It is not therapy, not a substitute for grief counseling. We link to support resources for anyone who would benefit from them.
Have a concern or a story? [email protected]
Memorial-specific questions
- We don't think so — not when it's done with care, with consent from those who knew them, and as a way to honor memory rather than erase loss. Lover Snap will never simulate speech, never generate photos of minors, and never market its memorial features as "bringing someone back." A photograph is a remembrance, not a return.
- Resemblance depends on the photos you upload. The more variety you give the AI — different angles, ages, expressions, settings — the more recognizable the result. Around 75% of generated photos are good, 10% are excellent, and some have visible AI artifacts that you can edit out in-app.
- Single-photo characters tend to look generic — the AI struggles to learn a person's features from one angle. If you can find even 2-3 more photos (any age, any quality), the result improves significantly. Our guide on preparing photos has more detail.
- Yes — Advanced subscribers can convert a still generation into a Live Photo with gentle, ambient motion (a slight head turn, a small smile). We deliberately do not generate speech, full conversations, or deepfake video. We make photographs, not impersonations.
- Listen to them. Grief is plural — what comforts one person can hurt another. Lover Snap is a tool, not a mandate. We won't help you create photos a family disagrees on, and we encourage having the conversation before you start.
- Yes, anytime, from inside the app. Deleted characters and reference photos are permanently removed within 30 days. Closing your account schedules everything for deletion automatically.
- No. Your reference photos and trained characters are used only for your own generations. They are never used to improve shared models. They are encrypted at rest and only you can access them.
- Deep Nostalgia animates a single old photo into a short looping video. Lover Snap trains an AI character on multiple reference photos and lets you place that person into new scenes — a family table, a wedding, a beach. We also publish a full ethics framework, never generate photos of minors, and never simulate speech. Full comparison →
- Yes. Pet memorial is one of the most common ways the app is used. See our pet memorial page for tips on selecting reference photos of cats and dogs.
- Yes — see our resources page for vetted national and international grief organizations. Lover Snap is a tool for honoring memory, not a substitute for grief counseling, and we say that clearly.
Is it disrespectful to make AI photos of someone who has died?
Will the photos actually look like my loved one?
What if I only have one old photo?
Can I make a Live Photo of my parent who passed away?
What if a family member doesn't want me to do this?
Can I delete the AI character when I'm done?
Do you train your AI on photos of deceased people I upload?
How is Lover Snap different from MyHeritage Deep Nostalgia?
Can I use Lover Snap for a deceased pet?
Is there a grief support resource you recommend?
Start with a 3-day free trial.
If you'd rather talk to us first, we read every email: [email protected]