To turn a Live Photo into a regular video, open it in Photos, tap the More button (the three dots), and choose Save as Video. To turn it into a single still image instead, tap the More button and choose Duplicate > Duplicate as Still Photo. Both create a new file and leave the original Live Photo intact.
TL;DR
- A Live Photo is a still frame plus about three seconds of motion and audio, stored as a paired file.
- Save as Video turns it into a standard, shareable video clip.
- Duplicate as Still Photo flattens it to a single image with no motion or sound.
- Both actions keep the original; you choose whether to delete it afterward.
- Native tools convert one at a time and do not let you trim or pick the exact frame.
What is a Live Photo, and why convert it?
A Live Photo captures a 1.5-second window before and after you press the shutter, bundling a still frame with a short motion clip and audio. It is an Apple format, so the motion only plays inside Apple Photos and a handful of compatible apps. Everywhere else, recipients often see just the still or a confusing pair of files.
That is the reason to convert. If you want the movement to play for anyone, you need a real video. If you only want the picture and never the motion, a still is cleaner and smaller.
How do I save a Live Photo as a video?
Open the Live Photo in Photos, tap the More button (three dots, top right), and choose Save as Video. iOS creates a standard video file in your library alongside the original. That video plays on any device, uploads to any platform, and behaves like a normal clip. The original Live Photo stays put, so you can delete it later if you no longer need the paired version.
How do I convert a Live Photo to a single still?
You have two routes. To make a permanent flat copy, open the photo, tap the More button, then Duplicate > Duplicate as Still Photo. That produces a separate JPG-style image with no motion or audio.
To simply switch off the motion without making a copy, tap the Live badge at the top left and choose Off. That keeps the file as a Live Photo but stops it animating and exporting as motion. Use Duplicate as Still Photo when you want a clean, standalone image to share or upload.
What iOS does natively, and where it stops
Natively, Photos covers the two main conversions well: Save as Video and Duplicate as Still Photo are both one tap away under the More button, and both preserve the original. iOS also lets you pick which frame is the key photo via Edit > Live, and apply Loop, Bounce, or Long Exposure effects.
Where it stops is precision and batch work. You cannot trim the video to a custom length during conversion, you cannot export at a chosen resolution or frame rate, and there is no convert all Live Photos button. Doing many at once means repeating the same taps for each one.
What this cannot do
Converting a Live Photo cannot add detail or smoothness that was not captured; the motion is only about three seconds at the original quality. Saving as a video does not free up space either, since the original Live Photo remains until you remove it, so you briefly use more storage, not less. And once you duplicate as a still and delete the original, the motion and audio are gone for good. If reclaiming space is the aim, deleting the leftover originals is what actually helps; see why your iPhone storage is full when there is nothing to delete.
FAQ
Does saving a Live Photo as a video delete the original?
No. Save as Video adds a new clip to your library and leaves the Live Photo untouched. If you want only the video, you have to delete the original Live Photo yourself afterward.
Can I choose which frame becomes the still photo?
Yes, before duplicating. Open the Live Photo, tap Edit, select the Live tab, scrub to the frame you want, and tap Make Key Photo. Then Duplicate as Still Photo uses that frame.
Why does my Live Photo only show as a picture when I send it?
Many apps and non-Apple devices do not support the Live Photo format, so they fall back to the still frame. Save it as a video first if you want the recipient to see the motion.
To keep your library lean while you sort through these, read about what is actually using your iPhone storage. For browser-based image conversions, use Cleanor's image tools, and to clean up duplicate stills and leftover originals, try Cleanor for iPhone.