How to Turn off Motion Photo on Android

Are motion photos filling up your storage? Discover how to turn off motion photo on Android in just a few steps. Learn how to remove motion photos on your smartphone and save space & battery life:

Have you ever clicked a picture only for it to churn out a short GIF-like video? Recently, I faced this issue as well. When I opened the photo gallery on my Android phone, I found a series of pictures that could be described as short 2-3-second video clips. I initially thought this was a bug until I hit the internet and found out what was going on.

Without my knowledge, my phone’s camera app’s new “Motion Photo” feature was on. If, like me, you aren’t a fan of this feature, then switching it off is pretty simple.

How to Stop Motion Photos on Android: Easy Steps

As the old saying goes, knowledge should be shared, which is exactly what I will do with this article. Consider this article your comprehensive guide on how to turn off “Motion Photo” on your Android smartphone.

So, without much further ado, let’s dive in.

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What is a Motion Photo

Google introduced Motion Photo as a direct response to the iPhone’s Live Photo feature. This feature works in the same way Live Photo does. When “Motion Photo” is on, your phone’s camera won’t capture a still picture like it typically does. Instead, you get a 3-second short video clip.

Think of this video clip as a short preview of the photo you captured. Some people say it adds context to any picture you click. I think this feature primarily appeals to folks who are fans of photos that are more dynamic.

Although this is an Android-exclusive feature, not all Android devices have it, currently, “Motion Photo” can be found in Samsung, Motorola, and Google Pixel smartphones. How you turn off “Motion Photos” will also depend on what Android phone among the three mentioned here you are using.

Lucky for you, I’ll guide you through the steps for each of these devices.

How to Turn Off Motion Photo on Android Devices

#1) How to Remove Motion Photo on Google Pixel

What is a Top Shot?

In Pixel smartphones, Motion Photo goes by a different name–Top Shot. You can find this feature in the settings section of your smartphone’s camera. In Pixel smartphones, Motion Photo goes by a different name – Top Shot. You can find this feature in the settings section of your smartphone’s camera.

Here’s how you turn off “Top Shot”

4. You’ll also have the option to select “Auto”. By choosing “Auto”, you let the phone decide whether to turn a captured photo into a motion picture or not.

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#2) How to Switch off Motion Photos on Samsung Devices

Almost all the recent Samsung released devices have this feature. If you want to turn it off, simply follow the below steps:

3. If it is on, it’ll be yellow or golden.

4. Simply tap on the button to turn it off. This icon will turn white and you’ll also see a little prompt that tells you “Motion Photo off”.

You can check this quick video on how to enable and disable motion photos on the Samsung

#3) How to Put Off Motion Photo on Motorola Devices

Note: In Motorola devices, Motion Photo goes by the name Active Photos. This is the feature you’ll need to turn off.

Here’s how you do it:

3. Alternatively, you can put this feature on “Auto” mode, which will let your Motorola camera decide what capture photos to turn into Motion pictures and which ones should be ignored.

#4) How to Disable Motion Photos in Google Photos

The methods we’ve discussed so far pertain to disabling the feature directly in the Camera app, but what if you already have a motion photo saved in your Google Photos library? Fortunately, you have the option of turning it back into a simple still image.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Open the Motion Photo that’s saved in your Google Photos.
2. You’ll find a little play icon surrounded by a circle. It’ll be right beside the “Cast” icon. That’s the Motion Photo icon.
3. Tap on this icon to disable the feature.

Tip: Alternatively, you can also download special apps that let you turn a Motion Photo into a still image. I would advise against it though as your Android device does a fine enough job.

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How to Deactivate Live Photos on iPhone

Now that we’ve discussed how to disable motion photos, it seems only fair to leave no ground uncovered. So I’ve also discussed disabling live photos on an iPhone. If you are an iPhone user, I suggest you take notes.

Do the following to disable live photos on the iPhone:

1. Go to settings.
2. Tap on Camera and then Preserve Settings.
3. Find “Live Photo” and ensure the switch next to it is turned on green.

Remember, Live Photo is on by default. Following the above steps will ensure this feature is turned off permanently.

Inherent Limitations of the Motion Photos Feature

You should know that Motion Photos will not work if special modes on your phone’s camera are active. For instance, Motion Photos are rendered useless if your phone’s camera is in Night Sight or Portrait mode. Motion Photos will also not work if the lighting surrounding the object you are trying to capture is considerably dark.

Another problem with Motion Photos is their size. An average Motion Photo is said to be three to four times larger than a still-picture counterpart. You could encounter storage issues if you are clicking too many Motion Photos, which is all the more reason to stick to the traditional practice of clicking photos.

Key Tips to Make Good-Looking Phone-Clicked Photos

One reason people experiment with new features on their phone’s camera is to click a picture that stands out. Everyone wants to click a picture that’s worth posting on Instagram. It’s tricky to achieve this on your traditional phone unless you are a professional photographer.

I would suggest you do this instead of playing with your camera app’s features to click the best pictures.

• Enable your Phone’s HDR mode. Also known as High Dynamic Range, this feature will let you capture a picture in all its detailed glory, regardless of how dark or bright the surrounding ambiance is.
• Try Portrait mode to capture an image that keeps the focus solely on your subject.
• Use natural lighting to click great-looking pictures. No need to invest in expensive lighting equipment.
• Learn to be still when holding your phone to click a picture. Buy a tripod if you have shaky hands.
• Click a more balanced image by enabling the grid lines on your phone’s camera.
• Click the subject at multiple different angles.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Conclusion

While I do understand the appeal of motion photos, it is not my cup of tea. I like my photos still as they were meant to be. So it was annoying to me when I found out that most of the photos I’d clicked recently were short video clips. Thankfully, there was an easy fix to that issue and I’ve shared the details with you in this article.

As you can read for yourself, motion photos aren’t much of a problem once you know how to switch them on or off. It only takes you a single tap of a finger to enable or disable this feature so you can go back to clicking photos that don’t move.

Unless you truly like clicking moving pictures, I suggest keeping the feature switched off permanently.