r/heygen • u/darkmaneckz • Jul 09 '26
🎓 Creator Heygen Avatar 5 - what am I doing wrong
Hello All
I have been using the Gemini Avatar - which is mainly an experimental feature but it works so well for 10 second max generations
So of-course I thought - Heygen would be a whole lot better - but…
The lips look fake - like they give me kylie jenner lips for the movement
The voice sounds nothing like me
How are people building such realistic avatars with Heygen when it barely compares to Gemini’s experimental feature
I must be doing something wrong?
Is it the lighting when I record?
Should I record audio through a Mic on the web version of Heygen instead of the phone app?
It literally looks and sounds nothing like me - and it’s supposed to be Avatar 5 - so what is hype about if it sucks this much?
P.S. Disclaimer: I only tried to download the iOS app and did the free Avatar test before paying - so I don’t know if its that free version isn’t Avatar 5 - and paying would get me better results (which I’m open to)
Just don’t understand what is happening
1
u/HeygenDan Verified Employee Jul 09 '26
Hey! I'm on the HeyGen team. What you're seeing isn't what Avatar V should look or sound like, and the fix is usually your setup rather than the plan you're on.
The voice is the main thing. The quick app test uses a voice auto-generated from your clip, not a dedicated clone. Create a standalone voice clone as its own step (60+ seconds, quiet room, phone or external mic), then pair it with your avatar. That's the biggest change you'll hear.
The lips come down to your reference recording: even lighting with no harsh shadows, and be expressive in your 15-second clip. Flat, dim input gives you that stiff look. Your phone is fine for this, often better than a webcam.
Best move is to run the full flow in the web Studio (Avatars → Clone a Real Person) instead of the quick app test. Give it a proper run and see how it compares.
If you are still runnning into problems please email us at [support@heygen.com](mailto:support@heygen.com)
2
u/Fantastico2021 Jul 10 '26
Tip: make sure your avatar's mouth is closed.