How to put a video as your wallpaper on an iPhone by converting it to a Live Photo
- You can't put a video as your wallpaper on an iPhone, but you can use an animated Live Photo.
- Live Photos are photos that also capture footage for a few seconds after you take the picture.
- With the third-party app intoLive, you can easily convert video clips into Live Photos, allowing you to then use these moving images as your iPhone wallpaper.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Our phone's wallpapers, the images displayed on our lock screen and our homescreen, say a lot about us. These are, after all, the images we see more than any other, every time we look at our phones.
But if a picture says a thousand words, a video can say thousands more, so using a video clip as your iPhone wallpaper is a great way to personalize your phone.
And while you can't use an actual video as wallpaper on your iPhone, you can use an animated Live Photo, a file that's easy to create with the intoLive app.
Note, however, that not all iPhones support setting Live Photos as moving wallpapers. If you have an iPhone SE or iPhone XR, you can set a Live Photo as your wallpaper, but it won't move.
Read more: How to use the Live Photo feature on your iPhone to take motion-enhanced photos
Check out the products mentioned in this article:
iPhone Xs (From $999.99 at Best Buy)
How to put a Live Photo as your iPhone wallpaper
1. Launch the Settings app and scroll down to and tap "Wallpaper."
Steven John/Business InsiderOpen the Wallpaper menu in your Settings app.
2. Tap "Choose a New Wallpaper."
3. Tap "Live Photos" and select the file you just created. Make sure the "Live Photo" option is highlighted.
Steven John/Business InsiderMake sure to select the "Live" option before you pick your photo.
4. Tap "Set" then select "Set Lock Screen," "Set Home Screen," or "Set Both."
To enjoy the new live wallpaper, simply touch and hold a finger on your screen for about a second and it will suddenly animate, much to the thrill of those who see it.
How to create a Live Photo from a video with intoLive
1. Download the intoLive app from the app store - the basic version is free.
2. Launch the app, allow it access to your photo library, and then go to the "VIDEO" tab and select the file you want to use.
3. On the next screen, you can add a filter, slow down or speed up the video, and adjust the sliders on either side of the clip to edit its length. Your Live Photo version can be up to five seconds long.
Steven John/Business InsiderYou can edit the Live Photo version of your video in multiple ways, including changing the length.
4. Tap "Make" at the top right corner of the screen, then wait as the Live Photo is created. Note that you'll have to close some ads on the free version.
Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:
How to save, view, and share GIFs on your iPhone or iPad
How to make GIFs on an iPhone using live photos, through the Photos app or Giphy
How to backup your iPhone to iCloud or a computer
How to recover deleted photos from your iPhone, through the Photos app, cloud storage services, and more