Here’s a simple, step-by-step guide to save a Live Photo as a video on your iPhone (works on current iOS versions like iOS 18+ through iOS 26 as of 2026—no third-party apps needed). The original Live Photo stays untouched in your library.
For a Single Live Photo
- Open the Photos app on your iPhone.
- Find and tap to open the Live Photo you want to convert (it has the concentric circles icon in the corner when viewed).
- Tap the More button (three dots ⋯) in the upper-right corner.
- Select Save as Video from the menu.
- The new video (usually 3–5 seconds long, capturing the motion) saves automatically to your library.
The Live Photo remains in its original album (e.g., Live Photos under Media Types).For Multiple Live Photos (to Combine into One Longer Video)This is great for turning a burst or sequence into a short clip.
- Open the Photos app.
- Tap Albums (bottom tab) > scroll down to Media Types > tap Live Photos.
- Tap Select in the upper-right corner.
- Tap to choose the Live Photos you want (checkmarks appear).
- Tap the More button (three dots ⋯) — usually in the bottom-right corner (or sometimes top-right depending on view).
- Choose Save as Video.
- The combined video saves to your library (in Videos album or Recently Saved).
Tips
- The resulting video is typically in MOV format and ready to share via Messages, AirDrop, or social media.
- If the option doesn’t appear, ensure it’s a true Live Photo (not a regular photo or edited one) and that you’re in the correct view/album.
- No quality loss—the video pulls directly from the Live Photo’s motion data.
This built-in feature has been reliable and unchanged in recent iOS updates. If you’re on an older iOS version or run into issues, let me know your exact iOS version for tweaks.
