To turn off Live Photos on your iPhone, open Camera, select Photo, open Camera Controls, then tap Live and choose Off. To keep that choice between Camera sessions, open Settings > Camera > Preserve Settings and turn on Live Photo. That preservation switch remembers your last capture choice, including off.
These settings control new pictures. Existing photos, sharing, FaceTime, and automatic playback have separate controls, so use the option that matches what you want to stop.
The short version
- New pictures: Open Camera Controls in Photo mode and set Live to Off.
- Keep it off: Enable Live Photo under Preserve Settings after disabling capture.
- Existing pictures: Open a Live Photo in Photos, tap Live, and choose Live Off.
- Sharing: Disable LIVE on the sharing screen to send only the still image.
- Other motion: Use the separate controls for Photos autoplay, wallpaper playback, and FaceTime Live Photos.
| Your goal | Control or method | What it affects |
|---|---|---|
| Disable capture on iOS 27 | Camera Controls > Live > Off | New photos |
| Disable capture on iOS 26 | Tap Live until Live Off appears | New photos |
| Show a direct capture button | Indicators > Live Photo | Visibility of the Camera button |
| Keep capture off | Preserve Settings > Live Photo on | Remembers your capture choice |
| Disable an existing photo's motion | Live > Live Off | The selected photo's effect |
| Disable motion through editing | Edit > Live Photo > Live | A reversible still appearance |
| Delete Live Photos | Select pictures and tap Trash | Entire pictures, including still images |
| Share a still image | Share > LIVE off | The shared version |
| Email a still image | Share > Mail | The emailed version |
| Stop collection autoplay | Auto-Play Motion off | Automatic playback in Photos |
| Stop wallpaper playback | Switch the Play button off | Live Photo Lock Screen playback |
| Disable FaceTime Live Photos | FaceTime Live Photos off | FaceTime calls |
| Enable Lockdown Mode | Privacy & Security > Lockdown Mode | FaceTime Live Photos and broader security restrictions |
| Use voice navigation | Voice Control | Operates the existing Camera controls |
| Disable capture from Apple Watch | Camera Remote > More Options | Remote camera capture |
| Capture in ProRAW | Enable ProRAW and select RAW | Capture format, with larger files |
| Capture with Night mode | Leave Live Photos inactive during Night mode | Supported low-light captures |
| Restrict a managed camera | Administrator disables Use of cameras | Photo and video capture broadly |
| Disable a photo's Live effect on Mac | Effect menu > Off | The selected library photo |
| Create a still copy on Mac | Duplicate as Still Photo | A separate library copy |
| Export still copies on Mac | File > Export | One or multiple exported files |
Turn off Live Photos in Camera
On iOS 27, open Camera and select Photo. Tap the Camera Controls button, or swipe up from Photo at the bottom, then tap Live and select Off. Tap the screen to close the controls.
On iOS 26, open Camera in Photo mode, then tap Camera Controls or swipe up from Photo. Tap Live repeatedly until Live Off appears. Tap outside the menu to close it.
If you want a directly accessible button on iOS 26 or iOS 27, open Settings > Camera > Indicators and enable Live Photo. Return to Camera in Photo mode and use the Live Photo button to switch capture off. A slash indicates off; enabling the indicator only exposes the control.
Keep Live Photos off between sessions
After switching Live Photos off in Camera, open Settings > Camera > Preserve Settings. Turn on Live Photo so Camera remembers your capture choice. Although you want capture off, this preservation switch needs to be on.
Apple says preservation is enabled by default, but check its state on your iPhone if Live Photos keep returning. Set capture to off again, then make sure Live Photo remains enabled under Preserve Settings. If you later enable capture, preservation can remember that choice too.
Turn off motion in an existing photo
Open Photos and select the Live Photo you want to change. Tap Live in the upper-left corner, then choose Live Off. This changes the selected picture without changing future Camera captures.
You can also open the picture, tap Edit, and select the Live Photo button. Tap Live at the top to disable it, then tap Done. This reversible edit displays the key photo as the still image, and you can also edit photos on your iPhone for other adjustments.
If you want to delete the entire picture, including its still image, open Photos > Collections > Media Types > Live Photos. Open an image, tap Trash, then tap Delete Photo. For multiple pictures, tap Select, choose the images, and tap Trash.
Share a Live Photo as a still image
Open the Live Photo in Photos and tap Share. Tap LIVE in the upper-left corner to disable Live sharing, then choose your destination. This affects the shared version while leaving your original and future captures unchanged.
To email a still, open the picture in Photos, tap Share, and choose Mail. Address and send the message. Apple says Mail sends Live Photos as still images, while your library original remains a Live Photo.
Stop motion in Photos and your wallpaper
To stop automatic playback in collections, open Photos and select Collections. Tap your account in the upper-right corner and turn off Auto-Play Motion. Apple also directs you to turn off Loop Videos when disabling collection autoplay.
For a Live Photo wallpaper, open Settings > Wallpaper > Add New Wallpaper, then choose Photos > Live Photo. Select your image and switch the Play button off. Tap Add, then select Set as Wallpaper Pair.
These controls stop automatic playback in their respective places. They do not remove motion from your library original or disable Live Photo capture in Camera.
Disable FaceTime Live Photos
Open Settings > Apps > FaceTime and turn off FaceTime Live Photos. This setting is separate from Camera, so disabling ordinary Live Photo capture does not replace this step.
Apple also disables FaceTime Live Photos in Lockdown Mode, which imposes extensive additional restrictions. Use the FaceTime switch above if stopping Live Photos is your only goal. If you also need Lockdown Mode's protections, open Settings > Privacy & Security > Lockdown Mode, tap Turn On Lockdown Mode, then tap Turn On Lockdown Mode again. Choose Turn On & Restart and enter your device passcode.
Use your voice or Apple Watch
To operate the Camera controls by voice, open Settings > Accessibility > Voice Control > Set Up Voice Control. With Camera open in Photo mode, say “Show numbers.” Say “Tap [number]” for Camera Controls, then for Live and Off, refreshing the numbered overlay as needed. This applies Apple's general voice navigation to the Camera controls and requires a supported Voice Control language.
On your paired Apple Watch, open Camera Remote and tap More Options. Choose Live Photo, then select Off. Keep the paired iPhone within Bluetooth range, approximately 33 feet or 10 meters.
Check other capture controls
If you already want to shoot in Apple ProRAW on a supported iPhone, that format excludes Live Photos. Open Settings > Camera > Formats and enable Apple ProRAW or ProRAW & Resolution Control, depending on your model. In Camera, tap JPEG or HEIC at the top, select RAW, tap outside the menu, and take your photo. ProRAW produces larger files, so the ordinary Live Photo switch is the simpler choice when you only want still captures.
Night mode also leaves Live Photos inactive when it activates in a low-light scene. Open Camera, wait for the Night mode icon to turn yellow, and take the photo with Live Photos inactive. Manually enabling Live Photos disables Night mode, and Night mode does not permanently preserve an off choice.
On a managed, supervised iPhone, an administrator can disable Use of cameras in the device-management Restrictions configuration and deploy it to the phone. The console path depends on the management provider. This blocks photo and video capture broadly, so it is unsuitable when you still need ordinary still photography.
Create still photos on your Mac
To disable an existing photo's Live effect, open Photos on Mac and select Live Photos under Media Types. Double-click the picture, choose Edit, then select Adjust. If the picture has a Portrait effect, first use the Editing tool below the photo to reveal the Live Photo editing tools. Open the effect menu below the photo on the right, select Off, and click Done.
To keep the original and create a separate still copy, select the Live Photo in Photos. Choose Image > Duplicate 1 Photo, or press Command + D, then select Duplicate as Still Photo. This adds a still copy to your library while retaining the Live Photo.
To export one or multiple still copies, select the pictures and choose File > Export > Export [number] Photos. Under Photo Kind, choose JPEG, HEIC, TIFF, or PNG, then set your export options. Click Export, choose a destination, and click Export again. Exporting creates separate files without changing your library originals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will turning off an existing photo's Live effect free storage?
Turning off the Live effect does not delete the recorded motion or guarantee storage savings. iCloud Photos retains the original, so a still appearance does not mean the motion data has been removed.
Can you recover a Live Photo after deleting it?
Deleted pictures remain recoverable for 30 days unless you permanently delete them from Recently Deleted. If you use iCloud Photos, deleting a picture also deletes it from your other synchronized devices.
Which iPhones support Apple ProRAW?
Apple ProRAW is available on supported iPhone Pro models, starting with iPhone 12 Pro. You do not need a Pro model or ProRAW to turn off ordinary Live Photo capture.
Which iPhones support Night mode?
Night mode is available on supported iPhones starting with iPhone 11. Its activation depends on the lighting, so it cannot replace a persistent Live Photo setting.
Will Live Photo changes made on a Mac appear on your iPhone?
Edits synchronize when iCloud Photos is enabled on both devices using the same Apple Account. A still copy created in your Mac's Photos library can also synchronize to your iPhone.