Live Photos lets you capture a few seconds of video before and after you tap the shutter, then play it back as a moving image
Live Photos is a built-in iPhone feature that records about 1.5 seconds of video before you press the camera button and 1.5 seconds after — so the final file contains three seconds of motion around the moment you took the photo. When you look at the image later, you can tap and hold it to see the video play. You can turn this feature on or off in the Camera app, and you can change whether existing photos stay as Live Photos or become still images.
The feature works on iPhone 6s and newer. It uses more storage than a regular photo because it stores both the still image and the video clip together. If you want to save space or prefer straightforward still photos, you can disable it. If you like the extra context a moving image gives you, you can keep it on.
Key Takeaways
- Turn Live Photos on or off by opening the Camera app, tapping the circular icon at the top of the screen that looks like concentric circles, and watching it change from filled to hollow.
- Convert an existing Live Photo to a still image by opening it in Photos, swiping up, and tapping "Live Photo Off" — this removes the video but keeps the photo.
- Convert a still photo to a Live Photo only if you used Live Photos mode when you took it; you cannot add motion to a photo taken without the feature active.
- Live Photos take up roughly twice the storage space of regular photos because they store video alongside the image.
How to turn Live Photos on in the Camera app
Open the Camera app on your iPhone. At the top of the screen, you will see a circular icon made of concentric rings — that is the Live Photos button. If the icon is hollow (outlined only), Live Photos is off. Tap it once to turn it on; the icon will fill in with color and you will see a small animation.
Now when you take a photo, the camera will record video before and after you tap the shutter button. The photo will be saved as a Live Photo. You can take as many as you want while the feature is on. To turn it off again, tap the same button and it will become hollow again.
How to turn Live Photos off for a photo you already took
Open the Photos app and find the Live Photo you want to change. Tap it to open it full-screen. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen — a menu will appear with several options. Look for "Live Photo" with a toggle or button next to it, and tap "Live Photo Off."
The photo will now be a still image. The video part is deleted, but the photo itself stays in your library. This is useful if you want to save storage space or if you took a Live Photo by accident and prefer a regular image. The change happens when ready and cannot be undone, so make sure you want to remove the motion before you confirm.
Why you cannot convert a still photo to a Live Photo
If you took a photo without Live Photos turned on, the camera did not record any video around that moment. There is no video file to attach to the image, so the photo cannot become a Live Photo later. The feature only works if you had it enabled when you pressed the shutter button.
If you want a Live Photo of something, you need to take the photo again with Live Photos on. This is why it helps to keep the feature on by default if you like having the option — you cannot go back and add motion to old still photos.
Storage and when to turn Live Photos off
A Live Photo takes roughly twice as much storage space as a regular photo because it stores a still image plus a three-second video clip. If you are running low on iPhone storage, turning off Live Photos is one way to save space. Each Live Photo you delete or convert to a still image frees up that extra space.
You can also turn off Live Photos in the Camera app settings if you rarely use the feature. Go to Settings, then Camera, and toggle off "Live Photo." This prevents the camera from recording video by default, though you can still turn it on for individual shots if you change your mind later.
How Live Photos work when you share or edit them
When you send a Live Photo to someone through Messages or Mail, they will receive both the still image and the video. They can tap and hold the photo to see it move, but only if they have an iPhone or iPad. Android users and computers will see only the still image.
If you edit a Live Photo in the Photos app, you can choose to keep the Live Photo feature or convert it to a still image. Some third-party photo editors do not support Live Photos, so they may automatically convert the file to a still image when you open it. Check the app's description if you want to edit Live Photos while keeping the motion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change which frame of a Live Photo becomes the main still image?
Yes. Open the Live Photo in the Photos app, tap Edit, then tap the Live Photo icon at the top. Swipe through the frames and tap the one you want to be the main image. Tap Done to save the change. The video stays the same; only the thumbnail and preview image change.
What happens to Live Photos when I back up my iPhone to iCloud?
iCloud backs up Live Photos as complete files, including the video. They take up more space in your iCloud storage than regular photos. If you are running out of iCloud space, converting Live Photos to still images will reduce how much storage you need.
Can I turn a Live Photo into a video file?
The video in a Live Photo is not a separate file you can extract and save as a video. Some third-party apps claim to do this, but the quality is usually poor because the video was designed to be three seconds long and loop. It is not meant to be a standalone video.
Does Live Photos work with the front-facing camera?
Yes, Live Photos works with both the rear and front cameras on iPhone 6s and newer. The process is the same: tap the concentric circles icon to turn it on, then take your photo. The front camera will record video before and after you tap the shutter.