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How to turn iPhone live photos into a GIF

Want to learn how to make your own GIFs using the live photos on your iPhone? Here’s how to do it in just four easy steps.

You might think you’d need to download a third-party app or open up a GIF maker in your browser to create GIFs on an iPhone, but it’s actually an incredibly short and simple process. All you need is Apple’s own Shortcuts app and the live photo you want to animate.

From there, you can go on to send the GIF to your friends and family over your favourite messaging app or share it with your followers on Facebook and Twitter.

Read on to learn how to turn the live photos on your iPhone into GIFs.

What you’ll need: 

  • An iPhone with the Shortcuts app installed
  • A live photo

The Short Version 

  1. Open Shortcuts
  2. Tap Make GIF
  3. Select your live photo
  4. Tap Done to save the GIF

How to turn iPhone live photos into a GIF

  1. Step
    1

    Open the Shortcuts app

    The app should come pre-installed on iOS, but if you can’t find it you should be able to download it again from the App Store.
    How to turn iPhone Live Photos into a GIF

  2. Step
    2

    Tap Make GIF

    If it isn’t on the first page, tap Gallery and search for the shortcut there. How to turn iPhone Live Photos into a GIF

  3. Step
    3

    Select your live photo

    You can choose it from your Recents folder or head into the Live Photos tab to see just you live images. How to turn iPhone Live Photos into a GIF

  4. Step
    4

    Hit Done

    That’s it! Your GIF will be automatically saved in your Photos. How to turn iPhone Live Photos into a GIF

Troubleshooting

How do I take a live photo?

A live photo captures 1.5 seconds before a photo is taken, as well as 1.5 seconds after. You can take a live photo by opening the camera app on your iPhone and tapping the circle icon in the top right corner so that it turns yellow.

What else can I do with a live photo?

Open the live photo in your Photos and click LIVE in the top left corner to see what else you can do with a live photo. This includes looping the short video, bouncing it and creating a long exposure image.

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