GIF to Live Photo on iPhone (and Live Photo to GIF)

An iPhone cannot turn a GIF into a Live Photo by itself: the Photos app has no button for it. You need a free app that does the conversion, most often to set the animation as a moving lock screen. Going the other way, from a Live Photo to a GIF, needs no extra app at all. This guide covers both directions. Menu names can shift a little between iOS versions and app updates.

GIF vs Live Photo: what is the difference?

• A GIF is a single image file that loops forever, has no sound and plays almost anywhere: texts, websites, chat apps.
• A Live Photo is an Apple format: a still photo plus about three seconds of video and sound. It moves when you press it in Photos or wake your phone, not on its own in a loop.

So a GIF is better for sharing, and a Live Photo is what iPhone needs for a moving wallpaper.

How to convert a GIF to a Live Photo on iPhone

With the GIPHY app (free). It is the quickest way if your GIF is on GIPHY, or if you upload it there first.

1. Install GIPHY from the App Store and open the GIF.
2. Tap the ... (more) button under it.
3. Choose Convert to Live Photo, then pick Full Screen or Fit to Screen.
4. The Live Photo is saved to Photos.

With a converter app for your own GIF. Apps that turn videos and GIFs into Live Photos, such as intoLive, accept a GIF from your camera roll. Pick the GIF, trim it to a few seconds, and save it as a Live Photo. Free versions often limit length or add a watermark, so check before you rely on one.

Tips for a result that looks right:

• Keep it short. Two to five seconds suits a Live Photo; the rest may be cut.
• Make it fill the screen. A small square GIF ends up with bars or looks soft. Use a GIF with a portrait shape if it is meant for your lock screen.
• Smooth the loop. A Live Photo plays once and stops, so a GIF that plays forwards then backwards looks best. You can make the backwards half with the reverse GIF tool.

How to set a GIF as your lock screen wallpaper

Once the GIF is a Live Photo:

1. Open Settings > Wallpaper > Add New Wallpaper, then choose Photos.
2. Pick the Live Photo.
3. Make sure the Live Photo button at the bottom is on, so the motion is kept.
4. Tap Add, then set it as a lock screen.

The animation plays when you wake the iPhone. If iOS says motion is not available, the clip is usually too long or too shaky; try a shorter, steadier section.

How to turn a Live Photo into a GIF

With Shortcuts (built in). Create a shortcut with three actions: Select Photos, Make GIF and Save to Photo Album. Run it and pick the Live Photo. The GIF lands in Photos under Media Types > Animated. The full setup is in how to make a GIF on iPhone.

With a browser, when you want to pick the exact moment.

1. Open the Live Photo in Photos, tap the share button and choose Save as Video.
2. Open the free video to GIF converter in Safari and select that video.
3. Choose the start, length, width and frame rate, then select Make GIF.

The converter runs in your browser, so the video is not uploaded. A GIF has no sound, so the Live Photo's audio is dropped.

Loop and Bounce are not GIFs. In Photos you can set a Live Photo to Loop or Bounce from the Live menu. It looks like a GIF inside Apple apps, but it is still a Live Photo. To send something that loops on any phone, convert it with one of the two methods above.

Can you do this on Android?

Android phones do not use Live Photos. Many have their own version, called Motion Photos on Google Pixel and Samsung phones. To animate an Android lock screen, use a video or a live wallpaper app instead. To turn a Motion Photo into a GIF, export it as a video from Google Photos or Samsung Gallery, then use the video to GIF converter.

Questions

Can I convert a GIF to a Live Photo without an app? Not on an iPhone today. Photos and Shortcuts cannot save a Live Photo from a GIF, so you need an app such as GIPHY.

Why does my Live Photo wallpaper not move? Check that the Live Photo button was on when you set the wallpaper, then wake the phone instead of unlocking it with the screen already on. Low Power Mode can also stop the motion.

Does a Live Photo turned into a GIF keep its sound? No. The GIF format has no audio. Send the Live Photo or a video to keep the sound.

How long can a GIF Live Photo be? Live Photos are about three seconds long, so plan for a short clip. Longer GIFs are usually trimmed.

Will a Live Photo play as a GIF on Android? Usually not. An Android phone shows it as a still photo, or as a short video in some apps. Convert it to a GIF first to share it with anyone.