Live Photos are a fantastic feature on iPhones, bringing your still images to life with a few seconds of motion and sound. But what if you want to share that motion as a standalone video? Converting a Live Photo to a video is simpler than you might think, especially if you are using a Mac. This guide will walk you through the process of How To Make A Live Photo Into A Video, ensuring you can easily share those dynamic moments with anyone, regardless of the device they use.
Converting Live Photos to Videos on macOS
If you’re working on a Mac, the Photos application offers a straightforward method to export your Live Photos as video files. This process leverages the “Export Unmodified Original” feature, which, as the name suggests, exports the original files. For Live Photos, this means you get both the still image and the video component separately.
Here’s how to convert your Live Photo to a video using a Mac:
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Select your Live Photos: Open the Photos app on your Mac and choose the Live Photos you wish to convert into videos. You can select multiple photos if you want to convert them in bulk.
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Initiate the Export process: Once you’ve selected your Live Photos, navigate to the top menu bar and click on “File.” From the dropdown menu, choose “Export,” and then select “Export Unmodified Original.”
Alt: Exporting a Live Photo as Original from macOS Photos app. Navigate to the File menu, then Export, and select Export Unmodified Original to save your Live Photo as both a still image and a video file.
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Customize Export Settings (Optional): A dialog box will appear with export options. You can choose to “Export IPTC as XMP” if you need to include IPTC metadata. You can also customize how the exported files are named and organized into subfolders. These steps are optional, so you can adjust them based on your preferences.
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Export Originals: After setting your preferences, click the “Export” button. You will be prompted to choose a location on your Mac to save the exported files. Select your desired destination and click “Export Originals.”
After the export process is complete, navigate to the folder you selected. You will find that for each Live Photo you exported, there are now two files:
- A still image file: This is the JPEG or HEIC file, representing the still portion of your Live Photo.
- A video file: This is the MOV file, containing the video portion of your Live Photo, effectively turning your live photo into a video.
You can now use the MOV video file as a standalone video, share it on social media, or incorporate it into video projects.
Transferring Live Photos from iPhone to Mac
To convert Live Photos to videos using the method above, you’ll first need to transfer your Live Photos from your iPhone to your Mac. Apple provides several easy ways to do this:
- Using iCloud Photos: If you have iCloud Photos enabled on both your iPhone and Mac, your Live Photos will automatically sync to your Mac.
- Using AirDrop: You can use AirDrop to wirelessly transfer Live Photos from your iPhone to your Mac. Simply select the Live Photos in the Photos app on your iPhone, tap the share icon, and choose AirDrop, then select your Mac.
- Using a USB Cable: You can connect your iPhone to your Mac using a USB cable and import photos using the Photos app or Image Capture.
For detailed steps on transferring photos and videos from your iPhone to your Mac, you can refer to Apple’s support document on importing photos and videos.
Conclusion
Converting Live Photos to videos on a Mac is a simple process that allows you to extract the motion from your Live Photos and share them as standard video files. By using the “Export Unmodified Original” feature in the Photos app, you can easily get both the still image and the video component. Whether you want to share these moments on platforms that don’t support Live Photos or incorporate them into video projects, knowing how to make a live photo into a video expands your creative possibilities.
