Why do social media platforms not play Live Photos as animations?

Live Photos use Apple's proprietary paired container format. Most non-Apple platforms like Discord, Slack, Reddit, and Twitter/X only treat them as static still images unless they are converted to standard animated GIFs or MP4 videos.

How do I turn a Live Photo into a video on iOS directly?

In the Apple Photos app, open the Live Photo, tap the three dots (…) in the upper right corner, and tap 'Save as Video'. You can then drop that video file directly onto PullDL to generate a lightweight animated GIF.

Will the resulting GIF loop continuously?

Yes! PullDL sets the standard infinite loop flag in the GIF header so your animation plays smoothly on loop across all platforms.

Are my personal Live Photos uploaded to your server?

No. The entire conversion happens locally in your browser memory using HTML5 Canvas and WebAssembly. Your photos remain 100% private.

Looping Animated GIF • Ready for Discord & Slack

Turn Live Photos into GIFs Online

Convert Apple iPhone Live Photos into shareable animated GIFs and videos. Works in iOS Safari with zero cloud uploads and no watermarks.

HEIC➔GIF

Local In-Browser Processing

Drop your HEIC file here, or browse

Processes directly on your hardware • zero server storage

Batch Studio Queue (0/25)

Convert up to 25 files simultaneously in browser memory without server uploads.

iPhone & iPad Quick Tip: Save to Camera Roll

How to store converted photos directly in your Apple Photos app via iOS Safari

iOS 15, 16, 17, 18 Verified

1

Tap Download / Convert

Tap the button on PullDL. Safari will process the file securely in your device memory.

2

Open the Safari Share Sheet

Tap the iOS Share icon (the square with an arrow pointing upward ⎋) at the bottom or top of Safari.

3

Tap 'Save Image' or 'Save Video'

Tap 'Save Image' (or 'Save Video') to immediately add it to your Apple Photos Camera Roll!

100% Device Privacy

Never uploaded to any server. Keyframes are extracted and rendered directly in device memory.

Smooth Infinite Loop

Standard GIF loop encoding ensures non-stop looping playback across all messaging apps.

Optimized File Size

Smart palette color quantization keeps GIF file sizes small for instant loading on chat apps.

How to use Live Photo to GIF

Complete the task in a few clear steps without unnecessary setup.

1

Select iPhone Live Photo or Clip

Select your Apple Live Photo (or exported video clip) from your iPhone Photo Library.

2

Automatic Animation Rendering

PullDL extracts keyframes and renders a smooth, optimized looping animated GIF.

3

Save to Camera Roll & Share

Download the GIF and share it on Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Twitter/X, or save it to Apple Photos.

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about Live Photo to GIF.

A Live Photo on iPhone captures 1.5 seconds of video and audio before and after you tap the shutter button, combining a still image (.heic or .jpg) with a short QuickTime movie (.mov).