Coifly
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How to Try Hair Colors on Your Face on iPhone: Blonde, Balayage and More
Short answer: use a hair color try-on app that edits a photo of you. Choose a shade, let the AI recolor your hair, then compare. This guide uses Coifly, the app we make, and flags where other apps are stronger.
Step by step (about 3 minutes)
- Install CoiflyDownload Coifly: Hairstyle Try On from the App Store (iOS 15.0 or later).
- Choose a clear photoUse a front-facing selfie in natural, even light. Strong colored lighting can shift how the new shade looks.
- Open Hair ColorsThe catalog has 35 color looks. Blonde options include platinum blonde, blonde balayage, honey balayage, strawberry blonde, caramel ombre, icy silver and a money piece; there are also reds, browns, black, rose gold, lavender and pastel pink, and 12 men's shades.
- Or dial in your own shadeThe Custom tab has a color picker for a custom hair color, a text box to describe the look, and a From photo option for a reference picture.
- Confirm and generateCoifly asks for consent (Send to AI) before your photo is processed. The result needs an internet connection.
- Compare and saveDrag the before/after slider. Save the result to your gallery, and make a stylist card with the name of the look so you can show your colorist.
Free to download. Generating try-ons needs the 3-day free trial or a subscription.
Coifly vs other hairstyle try-on apps
Honest summary: Coifly is a photo-based AI app. It is not a live AR mirror, its catalog is smaller than the biggest apps, and it is not free after the trial. Here is how it compares.
| App | Price | What it does | Where it is better or worse |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coifly | Free download. Weekly $6.99 with a 3-day free trial, or $39.99/year. Trial includes 6 try-ons; weekly plan 40 try-ons a week, yearly 30 a month. | AI-generated image from a photo you take or upload. 97 catalog looks (35 colors), a Custom tab (describe a look or use a reference photo), before/after slider, stylist card. | No live camera preview, a smaller catalog than the big apps, needs internet, and no try-ons outside the trial or a subscription. |
| YouCam Makeup | Free with in-app purchases. US store listing: Premium monthly $5.99-$9.99, yearly $31.99-$39.99 (varies). | 250+ preset hairstyles, hair color changer, live AR camera, plus full makeup and retouching. | Better if you want live AR, makeup or a big preset library. Hairstyles are one feature among 70+, so the app is broader and busier. |
| FaceApp | Free with in-app purchases. US store listing: Pro options from $10 to $100 depending on plan. | Hair color, hairstyle and volume tools inside a general face editor; 60+ free filters. | Better as an all-round face and photo editor. Hair is one tool among many, and the free version is limited. |
| Snapchat lenses | Free. | Live AR lenses, including hair color lenses with root and ends options and some haircut lenses. | Free and live, which Coifly is not. Lens quality varies by lens. |
| Hayo AI | Free to download. US store listing: weekly $5.99, weekly hairstyles plan $7.99, yearly $99.99. | Live camera preview or photo upload, hairstyles and many hair colors. | Live camera preview is a plus over Coifly. Some reviewers report free-use limits. |
| Generic "AI Hairstyle Try On" apps (for example Hairstyle AI) | Varies. One listing shows weekly $3.99 or yearly $29.99, with 33 free styles and 750+ with paid packs. | Large style packs, photo-based AI. | Cheaper and bigger catalogs exist. Quality and trust vary between near-identical apps, so read recent reviews. |
Competitor details are from public US App Store listings and web pages checked on 2026-10-11 and may have changed: YouCam Makeup, FaceApp, Hayo AI, Hairstyle AI, Snap hair color lens. Prices vary by country; check the store before you buy. Coifly facts are from the app itself (version 2.2).
When another app may suit you better
YouCam Makeup lists 150+ hair colors in its own materials and a live AR camera, and it is a better pick if you want to flip through many shades in real time. Snapchat is free. Coifly's strength is a generated image of your own photo with a before/after slider and a custom shade, with a smaller set of 35 presets.
Frequently asked questions
How do I see myself with blonde hair?
Pick one of the blonde shades in Coifly's Hair Colors row, such as platinum blonde, blonde balayage, honey balayage or strawberry blonde, on your own selfie. You can also pick a custom shade.
Can I try balayage?
Yes. Coifly's catalog includes blonde balayage, honey balayage, copper balayage and a caramel ombre.
Is it a realistic result or a filter?
The color is generated by an AI image model that edits your photo, not a flat color overlay. It is still a preview: lighting, your natural base color and the dye process in real life can give a different result. A colorist can tell you what is achievable on your hair.
Is there a free hair color try-on app?
Snapchat has free hair color lenses that work live. FaceApp and YouCam Makeup are free to download with paid features. Coifly is free to download but generating try-ons needs its 3-day free trial (6 try-ons) or a subscription.
Can I pick any custom color?
Yes. The Custom tab includes a color picker for a custom shade.
Does it work on men's hair?
Yes. The catalog has 12 men's color looks including ash, silver, platinum, burgundy and frosted tips.
Does it need internet?
Yes, the image is generated on a server.
What does it cost?
Weekly $6.99 with a 3-day free trial, or $39.99 a year, on the US App Store. Prices vary by country.
How is my photo handled?
Per the Coifly privacy policy, photos are processed only to make your result, stored no longer than 24 hours on the backend, and not used for advertising or to train public AI models. See the privacy policy for details.