To make a hug photo in Gemini, upload two photos, such as you today and you as a child, and paste a prompt that asks Gemini to combine them into one natural hug while keeping both faces exactly the same. Gemini can build a new image from several uploaded photos. Editing your own photos in Gemini needs an account aged 18 or over.
Hug photos took off because they're emotional in a way most AI edits aren't: a hug with your younger self, with a parent from an old photo, or with someone who lives far away. They're also easy to get wrong, with stiff arms and faces that drift. The prompts below are built to keep it natural.
Why this works in Gemini
Google's help page says you can upload multiple images and ask Gemini to create a new image based on them, and it lists character consistency, keeping a person's look across images, including combining several images, as a key feature. That's exactly what a hug photo needs. Google even says its image model is suited to picturing yourself in different scenes.
The rule people miss
Gemini only lets accounts aged 18 or over edit images, and every image it makes carries a visible watermark plus an invisible SynthID watermark. So a hug photo will always show it's AI-made. That's a good thing: share it as a keepsake, not as a real photo.
How to make a hug photo
- Pick two clear photos where faces are well lit and looking roughly towards the camera.
- Open Gemini, start a new chat and upload both photos.
- Paste one of the prompts below and name who's who, for example 'the woman in the first photo'.
- Check hands and arms first, as that's where hugs go wrong. Ask for one fix at a time.
- Download full size when you're happy.
If the image tools look different in your app, open the tools menu and look for Create images.
Hug your younger self
Classic younger self hug
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Use both uploaded photos. The adult in the first photo is gently hugging the child in the second photo, who is the same person as a child. Keep both faces exactly the same as in the photos. Warm, soft indoor light, natural pose, realistic photo, both looking happy.
Polaroid style keepsake
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Use both uploaded photos. Create a polaroid style photo of the adult from the first photo hugging their younger self from the second photo, plain white frame, soft flash look, slight film grain. Keep both faces exactly the same.
Sitting together
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Use both uploaded photos. Show the adult from the first photo sitting on a park bench with an arm around their younger self from the second photo, afternoon sunlight, relaxed and natural. Keep both faces unchanged.
Hug a parent or grandparent
With a parent from an old photo
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Use both uploaded photos. Create a natural photo of the person in the first photo hugging the older man in the second photo, both smiling, simple home background, soft daylight. Keep both faces exactly as in the photos, including age and skin tone.
Grandparent hug
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Use both uploaded photos. Show the young woman in the first photo hugging her grandmother from the second photo in a sunny garden, warm and gentle mood, realistic. Keep both faces unchanged.
For an old, faded photo, ask Gemini to match the colour and quality of both people so one doesn't look sharper than the other.
Partner and couple hugs
Side hug
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Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
Use both uploaded photos. Create a photo of these two people in a relaxed side hug on a city rooftop at sunset, laughing, candid style. Keep both faces exactly the same.
Back hug
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Use both uploaded photos. Show the man from the second photo hugging the woman from the first photo from behind, both looking at the camera, soft evening light, realistic. Keep both faces exactly the same.
For more couple ideas, see these Gemini couple photo prompts and anniversary and wedding photo prompts.
Friends and siblings
Sibling reunion
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Use both uploaded photos. Create a photo of these two siblings in a tight, happy hug at an airport arrivals area, natural light, candid moment. Keep both faces exactly the same.
Best friends
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Use both uploaded photos. Show these two friends hugging and laughing at a festival with soft lights behind them, realistic photo. Keep both faces unchanged.
Fixing common hug problems
| Problem | What to type next |
|---|---|
| Arms look stiff or too many hands | Fix the arms so there are only two natural arms around the other person |
| One face changed | Keep the face of the person in the second photo exactly as uploaded |
| Sizes look wrong | Make the child the right size for their age next to the adult |
| Lighting doesn't match | Make the light the same on both people |
Be kind with these
- Only use photos of people who'd be happy to see them, and ask living people first.
- Never make hug photos of strangers, celebrities or someone you know who'd object. OpenAI's usage policy, for example, doesn't allow using a person's photorealistic likeness without consent in ways that could confuse people.
- For someone who's passed away, these can be lovely keepsakes. Just share them with family gently, as they can catch people off guard.
Want the hug to move? You can turn a still image into a short clip with the tools in this guide to turning a still image into video.
My advice
Choose photos with similar lighting and angles, and you'll get a natural hug on the first or second try. Spend your fixes on hands and arms, not on the background. And keep at least one copy of the original photos somewhere safe, because the keepsake matters most when you can still look at the real thing.
Frequently asked questions
Can Gemini combine two photos into one hug photo?
Yes. Google's help page says you can upload multiple images and ask Gemini to create a new image based on them.
Why can't I edit my photos in Gemini?
Editing images in Gemini isn't available to users under 18. Check the age on your Google account.
Will the hug photo have a watermark?
Yes. Google says Gemini images carry a visible watermark and an invisible SynthID watermark to show they're AI-generated.
How do I stop the faces from changing?
Name each person by photo and add a line asking Gemini to keep both faces exactly the same. Fix one thing at a time in the same chat.
