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Chrome extension

Wireface for Chrome

Install the free extension, choose how lively the faces are, and see what it works on. Everything stays on your device.

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On this page
  1. Install it
  2. Use it
  3. Which pictures work
  4. Privacy and permissions
  5. Update it
  6. Source and problems

Install it

Wireface for Chrome is a free extension for desktop Chrome 116 or later. It is installed from a ZIP, so there is no Chrome Web Store listing and no sign-in.

  1. Download the ZIP and extract it into a folder you will keep.
  2. Open chrome://extensions and turn on Developer mode.
  3. Choose Load unpacked and select the extracted folder that contains manifest.json.
  4. Refresh any pages that were already open, and pin Wireface to the toolbar for quick access to its controls.

No build, API key, server or account is needed to use the packaged extension.

Use it

Browse as usual. Pictures with a recognisable face blink, smile, smirk and raise their brows on their own, their eyes follow your pointer, and hovering over a picture triggers a reaction. The original image stays in place, with its size, alt text and links: a transparent canvas over it paints just the moving face.

Open the toolbar popup to change how it behaves:

ControlWhat it does
PausePause everywhere, or only on the current site. A site's setting also applies to its embedded frames.
PersonalityHow lively the faces are. Still stops every expression, mood and gaze movement, blinks included.
MoodRandom per face (the default), or one of Happy, Cheeky, Curious, Calm, Thoughtful, Sleepy, Grumpy and Neutral. Each face keeps its mood as it scrolls out of view and back. Shuffle deals the moods again without rescanning.
Eye trackingEyes follow the mouse or pen, not a camera. Switch it off to keep the gaze still.
Hover reactionsOne expression when the pointer enters a picture. In a group photo the closest face reacts.
MeshShow the wireframe over the faces.
Scan againLook for pictures again, for example after a page changes.

Which pictures work

  • Ordinary <img> elements, responsive <picture> and srcset images, and lazy-loaded images.
  • Images a page adds later, including infinite-scroll results.
  • Several faces in one picture, each moving on its own.
  • Same-origin and cross-origin images, readable blob and data images, and images inside open shadow DOM.
  • Single, non-repeating CSS background images, including cover, contain, explicit sizes and positions.
  • Local pages and pictures, when Allow access to file URLs is switched on in the extension's details in Chrome.

Detection is strongest on clear human faces, and many illustrated and cartoon faces work too. Small, obscured, very sideways or heavily stylised faces may be missed, and pictures smaller than 80 by 80 displayed pixels are ignored.

It does not animate video, canvas pixels, SVG, closed shadow roots, pseudo-element backgrounds, or repeating and layered backgrounds. Chrome's internal pages, the Chrome Web Store and the built-in PDF viewer don't allow extensions to run on them.

Privacy and permissions

Everything runs on your device. The face detector runs from the extension's own files in an offscreen document, and the Wireface rig and renderer run locally. There are no remote scripts, model downloads, analytics, accounts or image uploads, and it doesn't use your microphone or camera. The extension makes no sound: the narration and music belong to the promo video.

PermissionWhy it is asked for
HTTP and HTTPS site accessTo find the pictures on a page and read the pixels of cross-origin images. Pause a site, or restrict site access in Chrome's extension settings, if you prefer.
File access (optional)Local pictures, and only if you switch on Chrome's file-access toggle.
storageTo remember your pause settings, site exclusions and appearance choices.
offscreenTo decode images and run the bundled detector away from the page.

Update it

Download the new ZIP from the extension page, replace the files in your extension folder with the new ones, choose Reload on Wireface at chrome://extensions, then refresh your open pages.

Source and problems

The extension's source is public: wireface/wireface-chrome-ext on GitHub, with build and test instructions in its README. To report a problem, open an issue there or get in touch.

Want the same effect on your own website, for every visitor? See Wireface Images.