Google has made Gemini's personal AI avatars social. In an update announced on October 29, you can now invite friends to use your avatar, and once they accept, either of you can tag the other in a prompt to make images or videos of the two of you together, Digital Trends reported. It's one of the first mainstream AI features built around consent between friends, and it's going to show up in a lot of group chats over the next few weeks.
Here's what Gemini avatars are, how sharing works, what it costs and the limits worth knowing before you try it.
What a Gemini avatar is
A Gemini avatar is a personal AI version of you, made from a short video of your face and voice. Once you've created one, Gemini can put you into images generated with Nano Banana and into videos made with Gemini Omni, so you can ask for something like a picture of yourself hiking in Yosemite or a short clip of you giving a toast. Google's help page for personal avatars covers the basics of setting one up, and ETV Bharat's walkthrough explains the recording process step by step.
The new part is sharing. Before this update, your avatar was only yours to use. Now you can invite specific friends by their Gmail address, and after they accept, you can both tag each other with an @username in a prompt to create scenes together. Google listed the feature in its October Gemini Drops roundup of new features.
How to set up your avatar and share it
Creating your avatar happens on the web and your phone at the same time. On gemini.google.com, open Add Files, choose More and then Avatar, and Gemini shows a QR code. Scan it with your phone and follow the prompts to record a short video of your face and voice. Once it's processed, you can start using your avatar in image and video prompts.
To share it, invite a friend by entering their Gmail address. They'll need to accept the invitation before anything changes, and they'll need their own avatar if you want to put both of you in the same scene. After that, a prompt like "@yourfriend and me celebrating a goal at a soccer watch party" can produce an image or video with both of you in it. You can revoke a friend's access at any time, according to Digital Trends, and deleting your avatar removes the face and voice data it was built from.
Who can use it and what it costs
The feature has real limits, so check these before you get the group excited. Avatars are for people 18 and older with a personal Google account, and they only work in English. They're not available in the European Economic Area, the UK or Switzerland, according to Digital Trends and ETV Bharat. Making images with your avatar appears to be free, while making videos with it requires a paid Google AI plan.
If you've been following our coverage of AI agents you can text, this is a different kind of tool. Agents handle tasks on your behalf, and avatars put you and the people you know into generated media, so they sit closer to a creative toy than a productivity app.
Fun ways to use shared avatars in a group chat
The best uses make the group laugh and could never be mistaken for a real moment. A few ideas to try:
- A "movie poster" of your friend group for a trip you're planning, which pairs nicely with our guide to planning a group trip with AI.
- A short video invite for a birthday dinner or a game night, starring the host.
- Fantasy league trash talk, like the commissioner handing the last-place trophy to its rightful owner.
- A group photo from a reunion that half the group couldn't make, clearly labeled as AI so nobody gets confused later.
For more ways to get everyone involved, our list of group chat games has more ideas for keeping a chat lively.
Consent and safety: the rules worth setting
Google built sharing around approval, which is the right instinct, and groups should carry the same idea into how they use it. Only make content with someone's avatar when they'd be happy to see it, don't post AI clips of friends outside the group without asking, and say clearly when an image or video is AI-generated, especially if it could be mistaken for a real moment. If a friend wants something deleted, delete it.
It also helps to remember that the people in your chat might not all be able to use the feature, because of age, location or plan limits. Keep it optional and nobody feels left out. For a broader look at how AI is changing the way friends talk to each other, our guide to AI features in group chats covers summaries, fact checks and more.
Talk about it with people who follow AI closely
New AI features move fast, and the easiest way to keep up is to talk them through with people who try everything the week it launches. The AI Trends Tribe is where members share what's worth trying, compare results and flag the limits before you hit them. If you'd rather talk AI in person, follow the Tribe Events calendar on Luma for AI deep dives, trivia nights and builder meetups around the Bay Area, like our Future of Consumer AI conversation with Karandeep Anand earlier this year.
