# Swap a head in a photo > Learn how to swap a head in a photo with SwapShoot. Choose clear photos, check angles and lighting, review rebuilt hair, and save your result. - **URL**: https://swapshoot.com/swap-head-in-photo - **Last Updated**: 2026-10-29 --- To swap a head in a photo with SwapShoot, upload the shot you want to change and a photo of the new head. Start with one person and a clearly visible face. About a minute later, review the result with rebuilt hair, then download it: results are kept for 24 hours. [Try it free](https://swapshoot.com/app) ## Choose the photo that supplies the shot Start with the photograph whose pose, clothes, hands, background and light you want to keep. Those parts stay unchanged. Look at the head before uploading: is there one person, and can you clearly see the face? A photograph with those qualities is the recommended starting point for your first attempt. Check the edges of the face as well as its centre. Hair can fall across it. A hand or an object may hide part of it. If you have a choice of shots, begin with the one that gives a clearer view. Keep the creative purpose in mind while making that practical choice. ## Choose the reference for the new head The second photograph supplies the new head. The [face swap vs head swap comparison](https://swapshoot.com/face-swap-vs-head-swap) explains why the hair is part of this choice. Choose it for the head you want to see in the result, including the hair that will be rebuilt. Before uploading, compare the reference with the first photo. Notice the direction the head faces and where the visible light falls. Use those observations to choose a pair to try. Extreme angles may need another attempt. When you have several possible references, start with a clearly visible face rather than the most difficult angle. Comparing lighting and angle is a way to make a considered first choice. It does not guarantee a result, and another photo may still be needed after you review the output. ## Two example pairs In both rows the head photo is a clear, front-facing shot on a plain background, with the whole face and hair in view. The result keeps the first photo and takes the head and hair from the second. ### Shore at dusk - Original: ![Original: woman with shoulder-length auburn hair in a black turtleneck by the sea at dusk, eyes lowered](https://swapshoot.com/img/shore-flare-target.jpg) - New head: ![New head: woman with straight ash-blonde hair facing the camera on a plain grey background](https://swapshoot.com/img/shore-flare-head.jpg) - Swapped: ![Swapped: the same dusk shoreline shot with straight ash-blonde hair; the turtleneck, sea and warm light are unchanged](https://swapshoot.com/img/shore-flare-result.jpg) Shoulder-length auburn hair becomes straight ash-blonde hair. The black turtleneck, the sea at dusk and the warm light at the bottom of the frame stay unchanged. ### Olive jacket - Original: ![Original: man with a buzz cut and stubble in an olive shirt jacket, in dappled forest light](https://swapshoot.com/img/olive-jacket-target.jpg) - New head: ![New head: clean-shaven man with short dark side-parted hair on a plain grey background](https://swapshoot.com/img/olive-jacket-head.jpg) - Swapped: ![Swapped: the same forest shot with short dark side-parted hair; the olive jacket, pose and dappled light are unchanged](https://swapshoot.com/img/olive-jacket-result.jpg) A buzz cut and stubble become short, side-parted dark hair and a clean shave. The olive shirt jacket and the dappled forest light stay unchanged. [Try it free](https://swapshoot.com/app) ## Upload in the right order Open SwapShoot in your browser and sign in with Google or any email address. Upload the shot to change first, then the reference photo of the new head. Keep the roles of the two images in mind as you select them. One supplies the photograph; the other supplies the head that will appear within it. Confirm that you have permission from the people in both photos and that everyone shown is at least 18 years old. Check both uploads, even if one is a photo you use regularly. Review [how a head swap works](https://swapshoot.com/head-swap) if you need an overview. Then make the swap. About a minute later, you get the same photograph back with the new head and rebuilt hair. ## Review and choose a useful next attempt Compare the new head with your reference, then check how it sits in the starting photograph. Include the hair in your review, because it is rebuilt with the head. Look back at any part of the face that was covered in either input. That gives you a specific place to begin if the result needs another try. If a hand, object or hair crossed the face, choose a clearer photo for the next attempt. If the angle was extreme, try another reference with a less difficult view. Change the photo that seems most relevant to the issue, then review again. This keeps your next attempt tied to something you can see in the inputs. ## Download before the result is deleted Your results are kept in the Library for 24 hours. Download the ones you need while they are available. Uploads are not kept. If you are comparing several attempts, save the results you want to keep during that session. Do not leave the Library as the only place to find an image you need later. Each account gets 5 free swaps; the first is clean, the next four carry a small SwapShoot watermark. See [plans and prices](https://swapshoot.com/pricing) for what comes after them. Use photos for this workflow; video is not supported. For each attempt, keep the same basic checklist: permission, adults only, a clearly visible face, a deliberate reference choice and a review before you save the result. ## Questions ### Which photo do I upload first? Upload the shot you want to change first. The second photo provides the new head. ### What if a hand or hair covers the face? That may need another try. If possible, choose another photo with a clearly visible face. ### Should I compare the lighting and angle? Yes. Look at both photos before choosing your pair. Extreme angles may need another try; comparing inputs does not guarantee a result. ### Does the original background change? The pose, clothes, hands, background and light stay unchanged. The head changes and the hair is rebuilt. ## Related guides - [Fix closed eyes in a photo](https://swapshoot.com/fix-closed-eyes-in-photo) - [Put your head on another body](https://swapshoot.com/put-head-on-another-body) - [Cosplay and thumbnail head swaps](https://swapshoot.com/cosplay-head-swap) - [Pose-preserving head swap](https://swapshoot.com/pose-preserving-head-swap) [Try it free](https://swapshoot.com/app) Read the [Terms](https://swapshoot.com/terms), [Privacy Policy](https://swapshoot.com/privacy) and [Responsible use policy](https://swapshoot.com/responsible-use) before uploading photos.