Live Photo to GIF
Make a looping GIF from the short video inside an iPhone Live Photo. The converter runs in your browser and uses the .MOV or .MP4, not the HEIC still.
Add the Live Photo video (.MOV or .MP4). The HEIC still is not used. How to save the video on iPhone
Android Motion Photo JPG, or an iPhone .MOV / .MP4. Nothing is uploaded.
Your GIF will appear here. Nothing is uploaded.
Get the video off your iPhone
A Live Photo is a still image plus a short movie. This page needs the movie. The usual path is Save as Video, then a share or a copy onto the computer where you have this page open.
Save as Video
- Open the Photos app and select the Live Photo.
- Tap Share.
- Tap Save as Video. iOS adds a movie to your library. If it asks you to pick a format, choose the most compatible one. That file is easier for Chrome and Firefox to play.
Move that video to this computer
- AirDrop the saved video to a Mac. Send the video you just created, not only the original Live Photo.
- Or tap Share, then Save to Files, and copy that file from the Files app or iCloud Drive.
- Or connect the iPhone and copy the video with Finder. Use the movie file, not the HEIC still.
If the Live Photo is already on the computer
An import that keeps the original files often includes a still image and a .MOV with the same name. Choose the .MOV. Dropping the HEIC still by itself will not work. If you only have the still, Turn One Photo Into a GIF can add a zoom or a pan. That is motion added to a still image, not the clip the Live Photo recorded.
When Chrome or Firefox will not play the video
Many iPhone videos, including Live Photo videos, are HEVC (H.265) inside a .MOV. This page plays the file with the browser’s decoder. It does not include a software decoder, so a browser that cannot play HEVC cannot sample the frames.
Chrome and Firefox often cannot decode HEVC. The converter stops and says so instead of producing an empty GIF. The same file usually plays in Safari on a Mac or iPhone. Open this page there and drop the video in again.
If you cannot use Safari, make a more compatible movie:
- On iPhone, if Save as Video offered a format, pick the most compatible one and use that file.
- On a Mac, open the .MOV in QuickTime Player and choose File, then Export As, then 1080p or 720p. Drop the exported movie here.
A video this browser can already play, including many H.264 .MP4 files, can be converted without that extra export.
Processed in your browser
The video is read on this device. Frames are captured here and the GIF is encoded here. This page does not upload the video or the GIF. Downloading the result keeps it on your device.
The privacy policy describes the rest of the site, including a separate choice on the homepage to save a finished GIF to an account. That control is not on this page, and it uploads only the GIF you choose to save, not the Live Photo.
Android Motion Photo to GIF
The same converter also reads an Android Motion Photo. That file is a JPEG with a short video already inside it, so you do not need Save as Video. Drop the JPEG on this page. A JPEG that is only a still image has nothing to sample. Those photos use the multi-photo GIF maker.
Live Photo to GIF questions
Can I drop the Live Photo HEIC file here?
No. This converter does not decode HEIC or HEIF stills. The motion is in the short video. Use Save as Video on your iPhone, or choose the .MOV saved beside the still. If you drop the video and the still together, the GIF is made from the video.
How do I save a Live Photo as a video on iPhone?
Open the Live Photo in the Photos app, tap Share, then Save as Video. That adds a movie to your library. If a format choice appears, pick the most compatible one. AirDrop that video to a computer, use Share and then Save to Files, or copy it with a cable. If an import of the original Live Photo includes a .MOV next to the still, use the .MOV.
Why will Chrome or Firefox not play my Live Photo video?
Many iPhone videos use HEVC (H.265). This page uses the browser’s own decoder and does not add a software decoder. Chrome and Firefox often cannot play HEVC. Open this page in Safari on a Mac or iPhone with the same file, or export a more compatible movie (on a Mac, QuickTime Player’s File > Export As > 1080p or 720p) and drop that file in.
Is my Live Photo uploaded?
No. The video is read in your browser, and the GIF is encoded in your browser. This page does not upload the video or the GIF. The download stays on your device.
Can I convert an Android Motion Photo to a GIF here?
Yes. An Android Motion Photo is a JPEG that already contains a short video, so you can drop that JPEG here without saving a separate movie. A normal JPEG with no embedded video will not animate. Still photos use the multi-photo GIF maker.
How long is the GIF, and will it loop?
You trim the start and end, then pick 6, 8, 10, or 12 frames per second. A selection longer than the frame cap keeps the beginning of the trim, and the tool tells you it was cut off. Move the end point earlier to keep a later moment instead. Forward loop repeats from the start. Boomerang plays forward, then back. The downloaded GIF repeats.
More ways to make a GIF
The homepage turns one photo into a GIF. Several still photos use the multi-photo maker. Neither one plays a Live Photo video.