How to Capture Motion Photos on Android Devices iPhone-Style

Some manufacturers implement this feature under another name, but apps from the Google Play Store also offer this service.

One of the features that the iPhone has had since 2015 is the Live Photos system that allows you to view the images that are captured in a more dynamic way in the gallery.

Its operation is simple: the user activates the option in Camera and when the capture is made, the cell phone records a little more than a second of time before and after generating the photo.

Although it was implemented seven years ago, it is possible that this feature can be used for users of Android devices, which although it does not offer exactly the same, some manufacturing companies change the name of the feature. Also, it is possible to find related applications in the Google Play Store.

One of the manufacturers implementing Live Photos-like features on their devices is Google with its Pixel phones including Motion Photos, which is found in the Camera. To access it, users must enter the “Movement” section within the image configuration.

Once this action is taken, people will be able to identify each moving image within your photo gallery with a play icon located at the top of the thumbnail, so it is not a feature that is activated automatically within from the gallery unlike on iOS devices.

Also, users may choose a custom blur effect for this feature that allows them to view specific frames within short videos and choose the one they like best.

In the case of Samsung devices, they have the Animated Photo option, also located within the camera application, although this is not enabled for all devices, but rather for a few high-end ones. Just like the built-in feature on iPhones, this feature also allows you to record short videos before hitting the photo capture button.

Unlike Pixel devices, it’s not possible to set or customize what type of frame appears in the thumbnail in image galleries.

Apps from the Google Play Store

In the event that users do not have an iPhone, Pixel or Samsung, it is possible to download apps on their devices to simulate the Live Photos feature or at least a close version.

The Motion Stills application, available in the Google application store, is one of the most similar as it allows you to record a five-second video before taking a picture. Once saved to the gallery, users will be able to add mute effects to the video, create loops or fast forward the image.

Another option available to Android smartphone users is GIF Me! with which you can create animated GIFs from videos that are recorded before taking a picture.

Unlike other features, this app doesn’t record video, but instead takes a burst of photos, which it then creates an animated GIF that lasts less than a second. It is possible to generate loops from them, share it and even take it to other formats such as video (MP4).