How to turn off motion photo on your Android phone
Phones are a popular type of camera. They take great photos, especially if you have one of the best Android camera phones. However, phone cameras are also loved for the features they offer to spice up the creative process. One is motion photo, which turns your photos into a short video clip. You choose the best frame out of the bunch to be a photo instead of being stuck with what you get. Still, you might not want to see moving photos when browsing your gallery or want to save storage space. Here’s how to turn off motion photos.
What is a motion photo on Android?
It’s like a photo, but it moves
A motion photo on Android is Google’s take on iPhone’s Live Photos. When you capture a photo, your phone records a short video. Samsung phones save three seconds before you tap the shutter button, and Pixels capture about a second before and after. Motion photos add context to your photos and can be a great way to enhance the memories of the moment you are capturing.
If you own a Pixel, Google refers to this motion photo feature as Top Shot. However, motion photos aren’t available on all premium Android phones. This feature is limited to devices from Google, Samsung, and Motorola.
When you open a motion photo, your Android phone plays a quick preview of the recorded video before showing the photo. However, it isn’t the entire clip. To see the whole video, hold down a finger on the image (if using Google Photos) or press the View motion photo button (in Samsung Gallery).
The best part about motion photos is that the feature does not impact image quality unless you have a lower-end phone. Your camera’s HDR algorithms still work on most devices, and features like Google Lens are usable on the final image. Also, you can extract individual frames or the whole video with the Google Photos app. Open the image, swipe up, and tap Extract.
Motion photos aren’t available when using special camera modes on your phone, like Night Sight and Portrait mode.
There are reasons not to use motion photos on your Android phone. The feature may noticeably slow down your camera, and the resulting file uses more storage space. Since every motion photo includes a short clip, these images can be three to four times larger. If you tried all the ways to free up storage space on your Android phone, consider turning off motion photos to save space.
The large size of a motion photo is also an issue if you use Google Photos to back up your photo library, as they can fill up the available space in your Google account in no time.
How to turn motion photos off (or on) on a Google Pixel
Motion photos are known as Top Shot on Google Pixel phones. The toggle to turn them off or on is inside the phone’s camera app.
- Open the Google Camera app on your Pixel phone.
- Tap the Settings button in the lower-left corner of the viewfinder.
- Turn off (or on) the Top Shot option from the menu that pops up.
- Alternatively, set Motion Photo to Automatic. Your Pixel automatically turns the feature on and off as required.
Top Shot doesn’t work when you use the Night Sight, Selfie Illumination, LED flash, or Social Media Depth features while capturing a photo. Also, the captured video does not include sound.
How to turn motion photos off (or on) on Samsung phones
The best Samsung phones can capture a motion photo. Since shutter lag can be an issue on Galaxy devices, the feature may reduce the odds of missing the best moment. If you want to turn off motion photo, follow the steps below.
- Open the Camera app on your Samsung Galaxy phone.
- From the camera options at the top of the viewfinder, tap the second-to-last icon to deactivate (or activate) motion photos.
How to turn motion photos off on Motorola phones
Motorola’s implementation of the motion photo feature is called Active Photos. Despite the different name, the feature works similarly to Top Shot on Pixel phones and Motion Photo on Samsung devices. HDR and LED flash functionalities are deactivated on most Moto phones when Active Photos is turned off. This can negatively impact image quality. Consider turning off the feature if you want the best picture quality.
- Open the camera app on your Moto phone.
- Tap the arrow above the camera shutter button to display additional settings.
- Deactivate the Active Photos option to turn off motion photos.
- Alternatively, set Active Photos to automatic and let the phone decide when not to take motion photos.
How to turn off motion photos in Google Photos
Google Photos automatically plays backed-up motion photos, which may be annoying. Turn off this behavior if you don’t like it.
- Open Google Photos on your phone.
- Open a motion photo that’s backed up to the photo backup service.
- The motion photo automatically starts playing.
- Tap the motion photo button at the top (to the left of the cast button) to stop the playback.
When you toggle the option, Google Photos doesn’t play the recorded video of any motion photo in the future. You can also turn off the motion photo playback from Google Photos on the web by following the steps above.
Make the most of your Android phone’s camera
Motion photos are one of the unique features on smartphones that you won’t find on traditional full-body cameras. While it can be fun, some might prefer to deactivate it. Leaving motion photos on can help you get a better picture or a richer moment. If you aren’t a fan, you now know how to turn the feature off. If you’re looking for more smartphone photography tricks, read our guide on using manual camera settings on your phone.
