Quick Links

  • What Is a Live Photo?
  • How to Convert Live Photos to Videos in the Photos App
  • How to Turn Live Photos Into Videos in Google Photos

When you share a Live Photo with someone using an Android device, they will get a still image instead. Fortunately, there is one thing you can do to ensure they receive it without losing the “Live” aspect.

What Is a Live Photo?

A Live Photo is a feature that captures a very short video when you take a picture on an iPhone. It will include what happens shortly before and after you take it, including audio.

If you are viewing the Live Photo normally, it will only show 1.5 seconds of the moving image (no sound). But if you press and hold it, you will see and hear the entire video, which is three seconds in length.

Unfortunately, Android devices don’t support Live Photos. Since Live Photos are videos by nature, there is a workaround built into the iPhone you can use.

How to Convert Live Photos to Videos in the Photos App

Using the Photos app, you can easily turn a Live Photo into a video. To do that, open Photos and head to Albums > Live Photos.

Navigating to "Live Photos" on iPhone.

Then, open a Live Photo and tap the three-dot icon in the top-right corner. Next, select “Save as Video” from the menu.

Saving a Live Photo as a video in the Photos app on iPhone.

Now that the Live Photo is a video, you can send it to someone on Android or any other device.

How to Turn Live Photos Into Videos in Google Photos

You can also use Google Photos to convert a Live Photo into a video. To do that, launch Google Photos and open a Live Photo. Then, tap the three-dot icon in the top-right corner of the screen.

Navigating to more options in Google Photos app on iPhone.

In the options at the top of the pop-up, tap “Save as Video”—you must swipe the options to the left to reveal the option.

Saving a Live Photo as a video in Google Photos on iPhone.

Google Photos will then save the video to your camera roll, and you can easily share it with friends on Android devices.

One thing to keep in mind is that the video will include sound since Live Photos also capture it. So, play it first to hear what’s on it and decide if you want to send it as is or remove the audio before sharing it.

Also, if you want to send them a particular frame from the Live Photo, there is a way to extract a still image from Live Photos. Better yet, you can combine a bunch of Live Photos into a video file and send them all at once.