How to send a Live Photo
Send it in Messages and it keeps moving: open the Live Photo in Photos, tap the Share button and choose Messages. Mail, and anything that doesn’t support Live Photos, gets a still, so for Android friends save it as a video first.
Send a Live Photo in Messages
- Open the Live Photo in Photos and tap the Share button.
- Leave LIVE on. Tapping LIVE in the upper-left corner of the photo sends just the still.
- Tap Messages, choose who to send it to, and send.
Your friend taps the photo to open it, then presses and holds to see it move. You can also start in Messages: in a conversation, tap the Add button (+), tap Photos and tap the Live Photo to add it.
Mail sends a still
Apple says a Live Photo sent by Mail goes as a still image, and so does one shared to any device or service that doesn’t support Live Photos. To keep the motion, open the Live Photo, tap the More button in the top-right corner and tap Save as Video, then attach the video instead. See how to turn a Live Photo into a video.
Send a Live Photo on WhatsApp
WhatsApp supports Live Photos, with their motion and sound.
- Open a chat, tap the attach button, then tap Photos.
- Pick the Live Photo.
- Check that Live Photo is on in the preview. WhatsApp has a button there to turn it on or off, and another to turn off its sound.
- Send it.
WhatsApp’s help says editing a photo before you send it turns Live Photos off, so skip the crop and drawing tools if you want it to move.
Send a Live Photo to an Android phone
Apple says a Live Photo shared to a device that doesn’t support Live Photos arrives as a still, and suggests saving it as a video to share with people who aren’t on Apple devices. Two ways that work:
- Save it as a video (More, then Save as Video) and send the video in any app.
- Send it on WhatsApp. WhatsApp says Live Photos from iPhone and Motion Photos from Android can be shared with friends on any platform.
More on how Android phones handle moving photos in Live Photos on Android.
Sending Live Photos made in Tada
Tada saves every tada to Photos as a real Live Photo, so everything above works the same way. Make one from any still with Make it Live, tap Save, then send it in Messages and your friend touches and holds it to see it move.
Questions
Why did my Live Photo send as a still?
Either LIVE was turned off in the share sheet, or it went somewhere that doesn’t support Live Photos, like Mail. Send it in Messages with LIVE on, or save it as a video first.
Can Android users see Live Photos?
Apple says devices that don’t support Live Photos get a still photo. Send a video made with Save as Video, or use WhatsApp, which says it shares Live Photos across platforms.
How do I send a Live Photo by email?
Mail sends a Live Photo as a still image. Save the Live Photo as a video in Photos and attach the video instead.
Can I send just the still photo?
Yes. In the share sheet, tap LIVE in the upper-left corner of the photo to turn it off before you send.
Sources: Apple Support: Take and edit Live Photos · iPhone User Guide: Share photos and videos · iPhone User Guide: Edit Live Photos · iPhone User Guide: Share content in Messages · WhatsApp Help (iPhone): How to send media, contacts, or location · WhatsApp Help (iPhone): How to edit photos and videos · WhatsApp Blog: Live and Motion photos