I need to update my LinkedIn and company profile pictures but I don’t have time for a photoshoot. I’ve seen some AI tools that can generate realistic headshots, but I’m not sure which one does the best job with quality and privacy. Any recommendations or tips on which app to try?
Honestly, everyone at my office has been going wild for TryItOn lately, and I’ve gotta say, the results are actually shockingly good. I uploaded a handful of selfies (just make sure they’re not all car selfies, lol), and it spat back headshots that looked like I actually hired a pro—light’s right, backgrounds looked slick, wardrobe choices even matched my style. It’s about $17 for like 100 shots, but compared to booking a photographer, it’s nothing. One small caveat: watch out for weird ear artifacts or slightly off hands, but if you stick to straight head-and-shoulder shots, you can crop around any glitches and nobody’d ever guess it wasn’t real.
Lensa is another big one, but their “magic avatars” run a little more cartoony at times, and sometimes I ended up with a chin that looked like it belonged to a Marvel supervillain. Remini’s legit for sharpness, but the skin smoothing tends to go a lil too far into wax museum territory. StudioShots is also decent for more businesslike looks, but it’s pricier and takes longer.
For best results, mix up your initial photos—different backgrounds, expressions, lighting, but keep them clear. These apps can only work with what you give them. I’d say TryItOn is my top pick unless you’re trying to look like an oil painting, in which case, by all means, go Lensa. Whatever you use, maybe keep an OG non-AI pic in your pocket just in case someone asks why you now look like a runway model on LinkedIn.
Not to be overly dramatic, but AI headshots are the new office water cooler—everyone’s dabbling, but not everyone’s happy with their digital face. I’ve tried more of these apps than I care to admit (my phone’s gallery is a graveyard of uncomfortably perfect faces), and, yeah, @boswandelaar’s on the money that TryItOn is super hyped lately. But let’s pump the brakes. It’s not all glory; sometimes it spits out haunted-house ears or jokingly adds extra buttons to your shirt. Stop-motion animation vibes, honestly.
Here’s a hot take: if you want your LinkedIn pic to look legitimately professional—not “AI person who definitely never blinks”—check out HeadshotPro. It’s pricier than TryItOn (yeah, they want you to pay for “premium” backgrounds and “studio” lighting, whatever that means), but I’d argue the actual facial features are less uncanny valley and more “Hey, yeah, that’s actually me, and not a wax figurine made by a robot.” Downside: Slooooow turnaround. Not for the last-minute folks.
Also, Portrait AI and Secta are worth peeking at, especially if you care less about cost and more about avoiding the smoothed-to-oblivion Remini look or Lensa’s animated avatar madness. The clothing is hit-or-miss across all of them, so unless you want to roll with AI-generated suit jackets that make you look like you’re starring in a reboot of The Matrix, wear a plain top in your starter pics.
Real talk, none of these tools are perfect. Most useful trick: upload older photos you actually like—some from your camera roll that look natural, not just “passport photo” expressions. The more variety, the less chance of ending up with twelve versions of the same awkward grin.
I know everyone’s wild for the new tech, but there’s still something weird about hiding behind a digital clone for your work persona. At least keep a real photo handy for HR, unless you want colleagues thinking you joined the witness protection program.