Getting the perfect shot is made easy with Apple’s Live Photos. They bring your photos to life by turning them into gif-like 1.5 second videos that capture the moments before and after snapping a photo. Instead of having one static photo, it captures the real-life movement and background sound so you can choose the precise moment in time of your best shot.
But showing the full scene of a Live Photo on social media or with an Android user is impossible without first converting your Live Photos to a video.
TLDR: To turn Live Photos to videos within the Photos app:
- Launch your Photos app and choose the Live Photo that you want to share.
- Tap the share button.
- Scroll down to the option that says "Save as Video." Your video will be saved to your Camera Roll and in the Video album.
What is a Live Photo?
Live Photos are 1.5-second videos that capture the moments just before and after hitting the shutter button. Most iPhone users today should have access to this feature by simply clicking the “LIVE” button within the camera app.
These GIF-like videos capture the movement, energy, and sound that went into your photo-worthy moment.
Apple then chooses what it thinks is the best frame from that video and makes it the “Key Photo”. If you don’t like the Key Photo, you can easily choose a new one from the many other frames within your Live Photo.
Why make a Live Photo a video?
Live Photos capture more than just a static image—they capture the full context, including laughs, background music, or subtle environmental details. They save storage space by reducing the need for multiple rapid-fire shots.
The main reason to convert a Live Photo to video is for sharing. When shared on social media or with non-Apple users, Live Photos default to only showing the static Key Photo, losing all their dynamic content. Converting them to video allows you to share these "behind-the-scenes" moments universally, enhancing your storytelling and grabbing viewers' attention on video-preferred platforms. Once converted, your video can be shared on any device.
How to make a Live Photo a video in 3 easy steps
Before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s discuss how to take a Live Photo. Live Photos are captured in the same way as taking normal photos on the iPhone. First, navigate to your camera. Then, make sure that the “Live Photo” icon (the concentric circle icon between the Flash and Timer icons) is yellow. Once this feature is turned on, simply hit the shutter button to capture your Live Photo!
Once you’ve taken your Live Photo, you’re ready to convert it to a video and start sharing! You'll know it's a Live Photo if it has the "LIVE" icon in the upper left hand corner, but you can long tap on the image to make sure.
Depending on what version of iOS your phone is running on, the layout may be different but the icons should remain the same:
- Launch your Photos app and choose the Live Photo that you want to share.
- Tap the share button.
- Scroll down to the option that says "Save as Video." Your video will be saved to your Camera Roll and in the Video album.\
And just like that, you have a video clip that can be shared far and wide! You can share the video as-is, stitch it together with other video clips to make a longer video, or trim and edit your video as you please.
How to edit Live Photos online with Animoto
With Animoto, you can turn your 1.5 second Live Photos into professional videos for free, complete with animations, text, music, and more! To start creating high-quality videos from your Live Photos, follow these simple steps.
1. Convert your Live Photo to video: Your camera reel is a gold mine of video content! See the steps above to turn your Live Photos into videos.
2. Choose a template: Choose any of our free templates as a jumping off point. Or, start from scratch to create a video that is 100% unique from start to finish.
3. Upload your video to Animoto's online video editor: Upload as many video clips and photos as you’d like! If there are any gaps in your story, you can fill them in with licensed content from our Getty Images stock library.
4. Personalize your video: Now comes the fun part. Once you’ve selected a template and uploaded your content, you can customize nearly any aspect of your video! You can add text on or beside your media and choose the colors and fonts that best tell your story. Make your video more cohesive by adding a licensed music track to retain your audience’s attention.
5. Download or share your video: Once you’ve adjusted and customized your videos to your liking, it’s time to start sharing! Click on the “Export” icon to choose how you want to share your video. You can download it directly to your device or click the “Share” icon to share it directly to your desired email or social destination.
Tips on how to edit Live Photos
When turning your Live Photo into a compelling and professional video, you have a lot of options! Here are eight ways to edit your Live Photos and create a video that you can be proud of with Animoto.
1. Trim video clips to remove unwanted parts
Remove unwanted parts of your video like shaky videography or loud background noises by trimming your video.
- Upload your video into Animoto.
- Drag and drop it into your desired Media block.
- Click on your video clip then click the scissors icon to take you to the Trim Video window.
- Drag the video buffers on either end of your clip to make the video shorter or longer.
2. Add transitions to move through clips seamlessly
Have multiple clips that you want to stitch together? Use multiple Media blocks! You can choose your video transitions by clicking on the “Design” icon and then clicking on the “VIDEO SETTINGS” tab. From here you can choose from any of our 13 different Video Style transitions.
3. Add text to make your videos more engaging
Use text to call out certain features of your video or explain the story behind them.
- Click on the “Add text” button to add text boxes to your video.
- Drag and drop the text into the perfect spot.
- Choose a color that stands out.
- Pick a font that matches your brand or personal aesthetic.
4. Add music to evoke emotion
Music can help draw in an audience. Luckily with Animoto, we have over 3,000 licensed music tracks for you to choose from so your video will never be taken down for license infringement. To start browsing our library, first click on the “Audio” tab. Once in the Audio tab, you can sort our library of music by mood, genre, tempo, and more. Preview the songs by hovering over the song with your mouse. Apply them to your video by clicking on the track. Check out this video for a complete step-by-step guide to adding music to your video.
5. Add a CTA to compel your audience to take a specific action
The best videos are actionable! Make sure to clear a bold, clear, and actionable call to action at the end of your video. You can do so by adding a text box. Make sure to make your text bold, bright, and easy to read.
6. Choose the correct video aspect ratio for different platforms
While nearly every social media platform prefers video content to static, the ideal aspect ratios can differ. With Animoto, you can choose the right aspect ratio for your desired social destination and transform your video with one click.
- Use the Square 1:1 ratio for Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn
- Use the Landscape 16:9 ratio for YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn
- Use the Vertical 9:16 ratio for Facebook, Reels, TikTok, and Instagram Stories
Easily turn Live Photos into pro video with Animoto
Make sure to turn on Live mode on your cameras to capture your most authentic, engaging, and exciting content yet. Then, take your videos to the next level with Animoto’s free video maker!
Do you have any questions? Want more video inspiration? Tune into the Animoto blog for more how-tos and video ideas or join our Animoto Social Video Marketing Community today.
