Apps that allow you to swap faces with other people have become prevalent on the internet in recent years. Almost every day, people’s social media feeds are filled with their friends’ and relatives’ face swaps that provide plenty of entertainment for everyone to enjoy.
Among all these apps, one of the most popular is called ZAO. The software allows you to swap faces with famous people and other celebrities for truly hilarious (and sometimes, unsettling) results.
Unfortunately, the app is only available in China. The thing is, there is a way to use it even if you don’t have a Chinese mobile number.
What is Zao?
ZAO is a Chinese-developed smartphone app that uses artificial intelligence technology. The app is owned by Momo Inc. It basically works like a face-swapping app that lets users superimpose their face onto scenes from movies and TV shows—and all they need to do is upload a single photo. The app was released in August 2019 and has garnered a lot of downloads on the Chinese iOS App Store.
Register Without a Chinese Phone Number
Registration in the application requires a Chinese phone number. Thankfully, we now live in a digital era when this is no longer a problem. There are various services that provide virtual phone numbers of certain countries for registration.
If you’re itching to try the ZAO app, you can acquire a Chinese phone number simply by getting one from us! Get a temporary Chinese number for Zao now. Once you have one, enter the phone number in the app and wait for an identification code.
Even with your Android smartphones, we will instruct you how to install ZAO outside Chinese territory without any difficulties.
1- Download Zao on Android
You can download ZAO’s APK from many different websites. However, you need to make sure that the site is reliable and the APK is trustworthy. The simple way to check is that you can upload the downloaded file to the Virus Total Website which analyzes and tells you whether the file is safe for your smartphone. Normally, I can get ZAO from here: Download ZAO on Android
After being cautious, you can go to your smartphone’s security settings to allow the application from unknown sources to be installed. Please check your operating system. If it is prior to Android 8.0, then this step is valid. Otherwise, for the most recent system, the installer will ask you directly to authorize the installation of the APK.
2- Translate Zao interface into your own language or English
ZAO will not have option for users to change into other languages. Therefore, it creates a barrier that many people want to give up on using ZAO.
We have perfect solution to offer you for this problem. You can translate the information on the screen using the third-party application such as Screen Text Translate or App Translator.
3- Register account on Zao
Zao as a Deepfake App
Deepfake is a combination of “deep learning” and “fake,” which involves the process of digitally inserting one’s face onto another’s within video content. This type of app is similar to Snapchat and Instagram, which allows users to switch their faces with someone else’s.
Deepfake technology utilizes a neural network to map facial features to make a convincing video. ZAO is not the first deepfake app, but it’s one of the apps that yield the most realistic results.
It remains unclear how well the app works. However, according to some experts, the app uses very specific data sets to generate precise targeting of facial features and retarget these features from a single photo.
The Rise of Deepfake Apps
As mentioned, ZAO isn’t the first deepfake app. You can also find deepfake web services, such as Deepfakes web β, that uses deep learning to process the complexities of a person’s face. However, this type of web service is more time-consuming despite its powerful GPU on the cloud. It can take up to four hours for the software to learn from video and images, and it takes another 30 minutes to swap the faces.
That said, there’s no wonder why ZAO took the internet by the storm. Its quick face swaps are a huge game-changer. Despite its recent controversy, ZAO continues to remain one of the most popular deepfake apps today, and many people who don’t live in China are eager to try it themselves.
Conclusion
Using the ZAO app even if you are not in China has become possible, thanks to the advancements in technology. All you need to do is to get a Chinese phone number to register, and you’re in!
The rise of deepfake apps and web services show that a considerable chunk of what lies ahead in the world of digital technology will contain deepfake technology. That said, all we have to do is sit and wait.
Want to use ZAO outside China? Get your Chinese phone number and access ZAO today here at MobileSMS.io. We offer disposable phone numbers that you can use on any website or app. Sign up today!