How to do it
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See how much space Photos uses
Open Settings, tap General, then tap iPhone Storage and find Photos. Live Photos are part of that number, so this is your starting point.
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Find your Live Photos
Open the Photos app, tap Collections, scroll to Media Types, and tap Live Photos. The count shows how many you have.
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Decide what to keep live
Keep the ones where motion matters. For the rest, you can turn off Live Photo in the Camera app, or convert existing ones to stills.
What’s inside a Live Photo?
Your iPhone records what happens 1.5 seconds before and after you take the picture (Apple). Under the hood, an app-maker guide describes two files paired by a shared identifier: a 4032 × 3024 still and a 1920 × 1440 clip at about 30 fps (AI Frame Grabber).
How much bigger is it?
| Regular photo | Live Photo | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical size | 2 to 3 MB | 5 to 9 MB |
Source: Tidy, a third-party estimate.
How much does removing the motion save?
As a simple example, if the motion part averages 5 MB, removing it from 1,000 Live Photos frees about 5 GB, according to Live Photo Cleaner. Your library may be higher or lower.
What can PicWay do?
Two choices:
- Compress Live Photo: it stays a Live Photo, with the photo and the motion smaller.
- Convert to still photo: removes the motion when you only want the still. On the Set aside page, tap the level on the compression card and choose Keep one frame.
Compressing may lose some detail. You can compare before and after, and delete the original only once the new version looks right.
Does iCloud keep Live Photos as Live Photos?
Yes. iCloud Photos stores special formats such as Live Photos in their original form (Apple).