How to Easily Turn a Live Photo into a GIF in 2022 (IOS 15)

Live Photo is an amazing camera feature of the iPhone that records what happens 1.5 seconds before and after you take a photo. So as you look back on a live photo, it will display a 3-second video before becoming a static image.

Though live photos work perfectly to bring your photo memories to life on iPhone, they can’t be directly shared on Instagram, Facebook, or other social media as an animated GIF.

So, in this tutorial, we will walk you through 2 easy ways to turn a live photo into a GIF. Then, you can easily share your joyous moments with friends on various social media.

Here’s What You Will Learn:

How to Turn a Live Photo to a GIF on iPhone (IOS 15)

One thing to mention is that although iPhone’s latest IOS 15 system can’t directly create a real GIF format file, it will generate a looping MOV video file that plays back and forth and looks exactly like a GIF. Check 6 free MOV to GIF converters.

Step 1: Select a Live Photo in the Photo Album on iPhone

Open the Photo app > tap “Albums” and scroll down to “Live Photos” on Media Types > tap the Live Photo you want to turn into a GIF.

Select a live photo on iPhone

Step 2: Convert a Live Photo to a GIF

Tap the Live Photo icon on the top left corner > select “Bounce” effect. Then the live photo will be turned into a looping GIF, though it is actually a MOV video file.

Tap bounce to turn a Live Photo to a GIF

Step 3: Save and Share the GIF

Tap the “Share” button at the bottom of the left corner > select “Save to Files” on my iPhone. Then, a looping MOV file will be saved on your iPhone. You can open the Files app on your iPhone to view it and share it to Google Drive, Messenger, or other social apps.

Save the converted looping Live Photo as a looping MOV file to My Files

How to Turn a Live Photo to a GIF Online

If you need to add captions, stickers, filters, etc. to further spice up your Live Photo GIF, a great alternative is to use FlexClip, a free and feature-packed GIF and video maker online. Check the 4 ways to add subtitles to videos online.

Turn a Live Photo to a GIF by FlexClip online video maker

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Step 1: Select and Convert a Live Photo to a GIF

Open your Live Photo > tap the “Live Photo” icon on the top-left corner and select “Bounce” > tap “Share” button > choose “Save to Files” on my iPhone. Then, the original Live Photo will be converted to a looping MOV file, which looks exactly like an animated GIF.

Convert a Live Photo to a GIF video and save it to Files on iPhone

Step 2: Transfer the Mov File to Your PC

Go to the Files app > On My iPhone> select the looping Live Photo video > tap the “Share” button at the bottom of the left corner > select Google Drive or Messenger and get it transferred to your computer.

Transfer Live Photo MOV file to Google Drive and local PC

Step 3: Access FlexClip Online Video Editor and Upload the Live Photo Video

After you upload the Live Photo video to the FlexClip media library, you can select the 4:5, 16: 9, or 1:1 aspect ratio to match your Live Photo video and hit the “+” button to add it to the storyboard.

Upload Live Photo MOV File to FlexClip

Step 4: Edit the Live Photo Video

Since the original Live Photo Video is around 2-3 seconds, you can duplicate many storyboards to create a longer looping effect. Then, go to the “Elements” tab on the left menu to add animated stickers and emojis. Or use the “Text” tool to add animated texts with styles. All the fonts, colors, motion, and styles are fully customizable.

Duplicate video and add animated texts to it

Step 5: Export and Share Live Photo GIF

Done with the editing. Hit the “Export” button to export it as an animated GIF to your local computer or share it to your Dropbox or Google Drive.

Export the Live Photo video to GIF

Here is the resulting Live Photo GIF from the example:

Converted Live Photo to GIF

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Frank /

Passionate about photography, video-making and travel, Frank is a seasoned copywriter and a beloved father of 2-year-old daughter at FlexClip. He is always keen to share his latest discovery about video marketing and tricks to relive your memories through videos and images.