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Can I transform my live photos into normal still ones?

Argh. Not familiar with "live" photos I took lots of photos in Italy last summer and didn't know they were live. Can I transform them into normal still shots? I need to create an album for some relatives but need to use only still photos. I had no idea I was taking Live ones. Is holding down the "shutter release" button for a bit conducive to that? I tend to hold it down gently so as not to jar the phone as I am taking the picture. Reading this forum I think I have learned how to turn the da*m thing off, but still need to convert my older pics. Help, please?

iPhone XR, iOS 13

Posted on Feb 3, 2020 12:00 PM

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Posted on Feb 3, 2020 12:33 PM

You can convert them. It's kind of a multi-step process.


First, assuming you're doing this on your phone, view the photo in the photo app and click the 'Edit' button.


From here there are a couple of tools at the bottom of the screen. Click the Live button:


Now you'll see a thumbnail of the frames in the Live Photo. You can scrub across this line to get to your preferred frame.


Once you have it, turn off the Live option at the top of the screen:



This will convert the Live Photo to a static photo (and the other frames will be lost)

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Feb 3, 2020 12:33 PM in response to Nina Contini Melis

You can convert them. It's kind of a multi-step process.


First, assuming you're doing this on your phone, view the photo in the photo app and click the 'Edit' button.


From here there are a couple of tools at the bottom of the screen. Click the Live button:


Now you'll see a thumbnail of the frames in the Live Photo. You can scrub across this line to get to your preferred frame.


Once you have it, turn off the Live option at the top of the screen:



This will convert the Live Photo to a static photo (and the other frames will be lost)

Feb 3, 2020 12:04 PM in response to Nina Contini Melis

They already actually are. When you take a "live" photo, it's takes 1.5 seconds of video, followed by a static .jpg image as the last frame. If you plug your iPhone or iPad into your Mac and connect to it with Image Capture, you'll see two of every shot you took. A small video followed by a .jpg with the same name. Copy the JPEGs to your computer.

Feb 4, 2020 3:48 AM in response to Camelot

I followed these instructions but after choosing my favourite static photo, when I click on the LIVE yellow icon at the top of the screen it chooses a different photo than the one I have chosen. It seems to slide to the side and choose the last image, instead of the one I want.


Also, as I have downloaded the shoot to my Mac, is there any way to edit them there to remove the "live" part and choose one image from the lot?

Feb 6, 2020 11:48 AM in response to Kurt Lang

On the iPhone or on your Mac? I was referring to using the iPhone as a previous poster suggested. And there, no matter which frame I chose, by clicking on the LIVE box at the top the image chosen was the last one. i dunno if I have to click on it twice, or click and hold (I am not that iPhone conversant) but whatever I tried, the last image was chosen and the others disappeared.

Feb 6, 2020 12:08 PM in response to Nina Contini Melis

Yes, on my iPhone 6s running iOS 13.3.1. I don't see anything in Settings that would let you to choose when the still image is captured.


You wouldn't think which model phone should make a difference, but possibly?


As far as use, I just tap the live icon at the top center of the screen to turn it on or off. No press and hold or anything else special.

Feb 6, 2020 2:49 PM in response to Nina Contini Melis

Nina Contini Melis wrote:

Yes, that's the problem. As someone who shoot still pics and not video, as a rule, when I press the shutter THAT is the image I want to keep, not what happens 1.5 seconds later, when eyes have wandered, gestures changed, etc.

But that is exactly what will happen, even if you take a Live Photo.

The high resolution still frame is taken when you take the shot, and the video component extends from 1.5 seconds before to after you pressed the shutter button. You just need to discard the video and use the high resolution still frame. That is what I am doing, when I forgot to turn off the Live feature. I am only using Live Photos for Waterfalls or Fountains, where the animation is quite nice.


Can I transform my live photos into normal still ones?

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