Live Photo on Android

Opening a Live Photo someone sent you

Android does not have Apple Live Photos. We could not find a Google Help Center article that describes playing an iPhone Live Photo as motion on Android. A Live Photo sent to an Android phone often arrives as a still image. This page does not import an Apple .pvt package or a paired JPEG and MOV.

If you still have the original short video, convert it with the tool above to a Motion Photo (.MP.jpg), save that file to the phone, and try opening it in Google Photos or Gallery. Playback of files created here has not yet been verified on a real device.

Motion Photos on Pixel and in Google Photos

Pixel Camera Help explains Motion Photos in the Camera app, under the heading “Manually pick your favorite shot from Motion Photos.” According to that page, you can find Motion Photos in the Camera’s option menu. To save the motion photo as a video, tap More, then Export, then Video, then Export. The official “Turn on Motion Photos” section is device-specific; we do not repeat button paths we could not read clearly from that page. Source: Get a great photo every time with Top Shot (Pixel Camera Help).

To pick a favorite still later, Google Photos Help says:

1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Photos app.
2. Open a motion photo.
3. Swipe up on the photo.
4. Tap Shots in this photo.
5. Scroll through the shots and pick your favorite, then tap Save or Save as copy.

Source: Edit your photos (Google Photos Help, section “Save new shots from your Motion photos”).

Samsung Motion Photos

On a Galaxy phone, Samsung’s official support article describes capturing and playing Motion photos like this:

1. Open the Camera app, then tap PHOTO.
2. Tap the Motion photo icon (it looks like a Play button) at the top of the screen to enable the feature. Samsung also notes that you can find this icon by tapping the Quick controls icon (the four dots), then swiping left on the toolbar.
3. Position the shot, then tap Capture.
4. Tap the thumbnail in the bottom left corner to open the photo in the Gallery app.
5. Tap View motion photo to play it.
6. Tap the drop-down menu in the top right corner to select a different effect, such as Boomerang or Slow-mo. You can also turn off Motion photo.

You can adjust how Motion photos are captured. From the Camera viewfinder, tap the Quick controls icon (the four dots), then the Settings icon, then Advanced picture options. Tap Motion photo capture, then select Before and after shutter or Before shutter only.

Source: Capture group shots with Motion photos on your Galaxy phone (Samsung US Support). Menus can vary by model and software version. We have not verified our exported .MP.jpg files in Samsung Gallery.

How to try a file from this site

These transfer notes are practical cautions, not a compatibility guarantee:

• Download the .MP.jpg and copy it to the phone as a regular file (USB, a Files app, or a transfer that does not recompress photos). Some messaging apps, including WeChat, can compress images or strip the appended video at the end of the JPEG.
• Open the saved file in Google Photos or, on a Galaxy phone, the Gallery app. Do not rename away the .MP.jpg pattern if you can avoid it; Google’s format document says writers should use a filename ending in MP.jpg.
• If the picture opens but does not move, the still image may still be intact while the appended video was lost in transfer, or the gallery may not treat this file as a Motion Photo. That case is still unverified on real devices.

Frequently asked questions

Does Android have Live Photos?

No. Android does not use Apple Live Photos. The closest format is a Motion Photo: a still JPEG with a short video appended, as described in Google's Motion Photo format 1.0.

How do I open a Live Photo someone sent me on Android?

Android cannot play an Apple Live Photo as a Live Photo. A file sent from an iPhone often arrives as a still image. This page does not import an Apple Live Photo package. If you still have the original short video, convert it here to a Motion Photo (.MP.jpg).

How do I take and view a Motion Photo on a Pixel?

Pixel Camera Help says you can find Motion Photos in the Camera's option menu, and you can save a motion photo as a video with More, Export, Video, Export. In the Google Photos app on Android, open a motion photo, swipe up, and tap Shots in this photo to pick a favorite still.

How do I take and view a Motion Photo on a Samsung Galaxy?

Samsung's official guide says: open the Camera app, tap PHOTO, tap the Motion photo icon (it looks like a Play button) at the top of the screen, then tap Capture. Open the photo in the Gallery app and tap View motion photo to play it. A drop-down menu can change the effect, such as Boomerang or Slow-mo.

Has this Android export been tested on a real phone?

Not yet. The file is written to Google's published Motion Photo format 1.0, but it has not been verified on a real Pixel, Samsung Galaxy, Google Photos, or Samsung Gallery install.

Sources

• Motion Photo format 1.0 (Android Developers, last updated 2024-07-10)
• Get a great photo every time with Top Shot (Pixel Camera Help)
• Edit your photos (Google Photos Help)
• Capture group shots with Motion photos on your Galaxy phone (Samsung US Support)