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How do I turn Samsung Motion Photos into iPhone Live Photos?

Copy the original Samsung files to a Mac, convert them with MomentStays, and import them into Photos. iCloud Photos then syncs them to your iPhone as Live Photos. Samsung JPEG (including SEF) and some validated HEIC layouts are supported.

Why Samsung Motion Photos don't play on iPhone

A Samsung Motion photo stores a few seconds of video at the end of the photo file, marked with Samsung's own trailer. Samsung notes that motion photos viewed on a PC, or shared through messaging and social apps, are treated as stills. iPhone needs an image + MOV pair, so the file has to be converted first.

Step by step

  1. Copy the original files to your MacUse a USB cable with OpenMTP (Google no longer offers Android File Transfer), or LocalSend over the same Wi-Fi. Copy from the phone's DCIM/Camera folder.
  2. Open MomentStaysIf macOS blocks the first launch: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway.
  3. Add files and convertAdd single files, whole folders, or read from your Photos library. Batch conversion is supported.
  4. Import into PhotosSend the Live Photos straight into a Photos album, or save them as JPEG/HEIC + MOV pairs.
  5. Sync to iPhoneWith iCloud Photos on for both Mac and iPhone, the Live Photos appear on your iPhone. Press and hold to play.
Don't send them through messaging or social apps. Samsung and Huawei both note that motion photos shared through third-party apps arrive as still images. Some cloud or web uploads can drop the video too, so always start from the original file.

Samsung format support

FAQ

Can it convert Samsung HEIC Motion photos?

Some validated HEIC layouts convert directly. If yours isn't recognized, please open a GitHub issue with a sample.

Will the video or audio be recompressed?

No. Video and audio are remuxed, never re-encoded, and verified sample by sample.

Can I convert my whole camera roll at once?

Yes. Add a folder for batch conversion and import the results straight into a Photos album.

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Download from GitHub

macOS 12+ · Open source (GPL-3.0) · Runs 100% locally · Tested on Intel/macOS 12; Apple Silicon testing in progress

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