What is a Duchenne smile?

A Duchenne smile is a genuine smile that activates both the zygomatic major muscle (pulling mouth corners up) and the orbicularis oculi muscle (crinkling the eyes). Named after French neurologist Guillaume Duchenne, it is considered the most reliable marker of genuine positive emotion. Most people cannot voluntarily activate the orbicularis oculi, making Duchenne smiles difficult to fake.

How can you tell if a smile is real or fake?

A genuine smile involves eye engagement — look for crinkling or crow's feet around the eyes (orbicularis oculi activation). Fake smiles only move the mouth. AI smile analyzers measure this by calculating the eye constriction ratio and comparing it to mouth curvature. A real Duchenne smile scores high on both eye and mouth metrics.

Does smiling affect attractiveness?

Yes. Research shows genuine Duchenne smiles increase perceived attractiveness, trustworthiness, and approachability. Profiles with genuine smiles get 3x more right-swipes on dating apps. LinkedIn profiles with warm, authentic smiles receive 36% more recruiter messages.

How does the smile analyzer work?

The analyzer uses AI facial landmark detection to measure four key indicators: eye constriction (orbicularis oculi activation), cheek raise intensity, mouth curvature naturalness, and bilateral symmetry of the smile. These metrics are based on Paul Ekman's Facial Action Coding System (FACS). All processing runs in your browser — no photos are uploaded.

37,900+ analyzed

·⚡ 5 sec·🔒 Private

Is Your Smile Holding You Back?

People with genuine smiles get 3x more matches on dating apps. Find out if yours passes the test.

No signup · Photos are never stored · Unlimited free scans

Add a photo — smile score in under 30 seconds

Good light, face the camera, smile like you mean it.

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Private — never storedNo signupFree · unlimited scansDeleted instantly

What happens next

Free on this page — a genuine-vs-posed verdict for every smile in the photo, with eye-engagement and photo tips. Want more? Run the full 17-measurement scan — also free to start.

Private — Photos are processed in memory and deleted instantly — never stored, never used for training.

What You'll Learn

😊

Genuineness Score

Is it a real Duchenne smile or a camera smile?

👁️

Eye Engagement

Does your smile reach your eyes?

💡

Improvement Tips

Specific tips to improve your photos

Real Results

“Switched my dating profile pic based on the score. Matches went from 2/week to 8/week.”

— Mike, 29

“Found out I was doing a fake smile in every photo. Game changer.”

— Sarah, 24

“My LinkedIn headshot score went from 42 to 87 after following the tips.”

— David, 31

Example result

Here's what your analysis looks like

Person 1 · 91/100

Demo preview

😊

Genuine Duchenne Smile

4/4 Duchenne criteria met

🔬 Duchenne Smile Analysis

Eye CrinklesPASS

88%

Orbicularis oculi

Cheek ElevationPASS

82%

Zygomaticus major

Mouth CurvaturePASS

95%

Natural smile width

Facial SymmetryPASS

91%

Bilateral balance

Upload your photo below to get your real scores instantly — free, no signup.

Questions?

Everything you need to know

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Each test measures different facial attributes. Try them all for a complete picture.

Is Your Smile Holding You Back?

Add a photo — smile score in under 30 seconds

What You'll Learn

Genuineness Score

Eye Engagement

Improvement Tips

Real Results

Here's what your analysis looks like

🔬 Duchenne Smile Analysis

Questions?

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