How to share loop photos on instagram

How to Post a Live Photo on Instagram

Instagram

Peter Davis

Mar 16, 2020 4 min

With Live Photos, no picture is a bad picture – all you have to do is choose the best frame in the 3-second window shot as a live photo. But you can also use them as short clips to share as videos on social media – here's how.

One of the coolest features of the iPhone camera is the Live Photo option. No picture is a bad picture – all you have to do is choose the best frame in the 3-second window shot as a live photo.

But if you want to share your live photos on social media, you can only share them as still photos. There are tons of short clips on your phone for you to use as boomerangs or loops – why not post them to Instagram?

Here's what you'll need to do:

Switch your live photo to a bounce or loop
Convert it to a video
Share it on Instagram

Step 1: Switch your live photo to a bounce or loop

While you aren’t able to make video files from your live photos on your iPhone, you do have 1 option to change how they play.

For iOS 14 or older, go to your Photos app, select the live photo you want to use, and swipe up on the photo itself (or scroll down, if you’re on your computer).

For iOS 15, tap on your photo and find the "Live" dropdown menu in the top left-hand side of your photo.

You’ll see 3 options for your live photo: live, bounce, and loop. To make your live photo a video, you’ll need to choose either the loop or bounce option. I recommend going with the bounce style because the loop option truncates your video with a fade effect, although that can have a cool effect for certain videos!

Unfortunately, for both software updates, when the looped or bounced photo is saved in your camera roll, it’s not actually saved as a video. Even if you send it to your computer and export it as a file, it will be saved as a GIF, which can only be uploaded to Instagram as a still image. Instead, you need to select the photo in your Photos app, choose the “Share” button (it looks like a square with an arrow coming out of it), scroll down, and select “Save to Files. ”

Step 2: Convert to Video

After saving your looped or bounced live photo to your files, you still won't be able to upload it to Instagram as a video. We know, it's annoying 🙄 Apple makes it hard. But there's just one final step to getting the video: convert your new GIF to a video. Open Kapwing's Studio in the Safari browser on your phone. Click "Get Started" or "Start with Studio."

Tap “Click to Upload,” then “Choose Files.” Your saved loop or bounce file should be the most recent one in your file browser. Just select the file you want, and your video will immediately begin uploading to the Kapwing Studio.

Once your file is done uploading to the Studio, you’re ready to process it. Just click “Export Video” at the top of the window. Kapwing will automatically work its magic and your live photo will be ready to download as an MP4 video file in no time. Once Kapwing is done processing, simply click “Download. "

If you're not signed into a Kapwing account, sign in or sign up using your Google or Facebook account – once you've signed into a Kapwing account, the watermark in the lower right corner will be removed from your final image.

Step 3: Share it on Instagram

Once your live photo has been saved as a video in your camera roll, it's easy to upload to Instagram! All you need to do is open Instagram and go to the upload tab in the middle of the bottom menu. Choose the "Library" tab for your camera roll to pop up, and your live photo video should be the most recent thing shown. Just select the right video and you'll be ready to share it to your followers.

Remember to tag us @KapwingApp whenever you share your content on social media– we love to see what our creators are passionate about! And be sure to subscribe to the Kapwing Resources library – we’re constantly writing new tutorial and features to help you make the most out of Kapwing.

Related Articles:
• Convert GIF to MP4
• How to Make Animated GIFs from Videos
• How to Download a GIF from Twitter
• How to Make Custom Instagram Story Covers
• How to Add Music to an Instagram Video

How to Post a Live Photo on Instagram

Live photos aren’t a new concept, and they certainly aren’t a unicorn of an idea – if the newspapers in Harry Potter could feature moving scenes, then it’s not too big a step to assume that technology today is capable of a similar thing.

Live photo might seem like a glorified term for video, but this type of media has one foot in the photo camp and one foot in the video camp.

In fact, they are 12-megapixel photos that animate 1.5 seconds of motion either side of the still without you having to do a single thing.

Well, apart from clicking the shutter button, of course.

Today, Live Photos are a wildly popular feature of the iPhones 6s and above, and iPad Pros (sorry, Android fanatics).

If you’ve got an iPhone, you’ve probably taken a Live Photo by accident at some point. They tend to reveal themselves when you’re scrolling through your photos folder, replaying your pre-selfie face in all its glory.

But if you haven’t dabbled in this fun feature, and you’re wondering how to turn live photo on, here’s how:

Step 1: Open up the camera app on your iPhone.
Step 2: Click the icon at the top that shows a circle with a dotted outline
Step 3: Take a photo as normal (no need to hold the shutter down)
Step 4: When you review the photo, press and hold the screen to bring the photo to life

These little snippets of life that go further than a simple snapshot are doing the rounds on social media at the moment — and for good reason.

Not only do they often offer a hilarious “backstage” look at a photo, but they also bridge the gap between videos and stills.

Why Live Photos Are Perfect for Instagram

Instagram was once known as the place to post heavily-filtered images of food, sunsets, and anything else that makes your life appear more exciting than it is.

Every feed was a well-curated depiction of the life we wanted people to see, rather than the backstage shenanigans that accompanied each and every one of those sunsets and posh plated dinners.

But people want authentic these days.

They’re sick of seeing polished-to-perfection photos that make them feel bad about their own lives.

Instead, they want to see the nitty-gritty behind the shots, which is where Live Photos come into play.

For brands, Live Photos help create a deeper relationship with followers.

It’s common knowledge now that consumers actively seek out brands they connect with, and they relish in seeing the “human” side of a brand rather than polished marketing campaigns pushing them to buy, buy, buy.

So Instagram and Live Photos are a match made in heaven, but if you’re scratching your head wondering how you can easily get your moving pics onto the platform, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered.

Your Questions About Live Photos and Instagram Answered

We’ve pulled together the top queries people have about uploading their Live Photos to Instagram to kick things off.

Can you post a Live Photo on Instagram?

The short and simple answer is yes. We’re going to dig into this in more detail later on, so stay tuned for a down and dirty guide.

Can you turn a Live Photo into a GIF?

Again, the short and simple answer is yes. Instagram released its extremely popular “Boomerang” feature back in 2015 which is how to turn your Live Photos into GIFs. We’ll show you how in a moment.

Can you save a Live Photo as a video?

This is trickier than turning your Live Photo into a GIF, but you can use an app like Lively to do this. Simply convert your picture into a video via the in-app features and then upload to Instagram as normal.

Can you make a Live Photo a Boomerang?

Absolutely, 100% yes! This is one of the best ways to get your Live Photo onto Instagram, so we’ll run through how you can do that.

Ready to dive in?

How to Post a Live Photo as an Instagram Story

The easiest way to get your Live Photos onto Insta is via the Stories feature – they were practically made for behind-the-scenes snapshots.

Caveat: you have to upload Live Photos that have been shot within the last 24 hours for this to work. If you want to share a photo that was taken before that, we’ll show you some other options later on.

Here’s how to upload a Live Photo as an Instagram Story:

Step 1: Launch Instagram and click on the camera icon in the left-hand corner to start a new Story.
Step 2: Choose the Live Photo from your camera roll (remember it has to have been captured in the last 24 hours).
Step 3: Once you’ve selected the Live Photo, press firmly on the screen to automatically turn your shot into a Boomerang — voila! You’ve just created your first Live Photo Story.

If you’re looking to post a Live Photo on your feed rather than on a Story that will disappear 24 hours later, listen up.

3 Ways to Post a Live Photo in Your Instagram Feed

Bear in mind that Live Photos are only 1.5 seconds long and videos on Instagram need to be at least 3 seconds long.

So, how do you get past this?

1. Turn Your Live Photo Into a Boomerang

The most popular way to do this is by turning your Live Photo into a Boomerang in the Story feature and then saving it to share as a normal Insta post.

Step 1: Tap the camera icon in the top left corner
Step 2: Choose your Live Photo from your image library (again, it has to have been taken no more than 24 hours ago)
Step 3: Press firmly in the middle of the screen until a white circle appears and the word “Boomerang” appears (this means it has now been turned into a Boomerang)
Step 4: Instead of sharing to your Story, tap the Save button
Step 5: Go back to the Instagram homepage and create a new post as normal
Step 6: Choose the Boomerang you just created (it should be 6 seconds long)

This is a great way to jazz up your Live Photos, as it reverses your pic as well for a dose of extra fun.

The fun doesn’t end there! If you really want to bring your Live Photo game to a whole new level, you can use Instasize to add creative elements to your saved Boomerang.

First, add a border to match your Live Photo. You can choose from Instasize’s vast collection of border patterns that range from DIY, film, minimalist, tropical, and cosmic designs. Next, add your own text! There are plenty of typefaces to choose (Stromectol) from so you can match the font with the mood of your borders.

Then you can choose to add a filter and correct other photo elements like Exposure, Shadows, Highlights, Sharpness, and more. Instasize even recommends up to 6 filters based on your image’s colors and lighting. If you’re uploading a Live Selfie, make sure to use the Beauty Tools to retouch dark spots or acne before posting.

Instasize is your secret weapon to creating extraordinary Live Photos that’ll make your friends think you’re a creative genius! Get Instasize on the iOS App Store for free or subscribe to Premium for only $4. 99 monthly.

2. “Bounce” or “Loop” Live Photos

If you’d rather work outside of the Insta app while you prep your Live Photo, you can do so directly through the Photos app on your phone and then upload the result straight to Instagram.

Looping and bouncing Live Photos makes them run at longer than 3 seconds so they easily pass the Instagram guidelines. Here’s how to do that:

Step 1: Open up the Photos app on your phone
Step 2: Find the Live Photo you want to work on (it doesn’t have to have been shot in the last 24 hours, so this is a great option if you want to add a post from a while ago – Throwback Thursday, anyone?)
Step 3: Tap into the photo so the edges go black and swipe up so you get the “Effects” screen
Step 4: Choose either the “Loop” or the “Bounce” option
Step 5: Save the image and open up Instagram
Step 6: Add the new looped or bouncing image as a normal Instagram post

3.

Convert Live Photos into GIFs

So we’ve Boomerang-ed, we’ve Looped, and we’ve Bounced – what’s next?!

If none of the above options tickle your fancy, you can always run your Live Photo through an app to turn it into a GIF.

GIFs are mega-popular on Instagram at the moment – so much so, that GIPHY has now teamed up with Instagram to provide thousands of pre-made GIFs for Insta Stories.

You can use an app like Motion Stills, Lively, or Alive to quickly turn your photos into GIFs and then post them on Instagram in the usual way.

Liven Up Your Insta Feed With Live Photos

Gone are the days of pristine Instagram feeds that show the near-on impossible.

Now, we’re all about authenticity and sharing the “human” moments of our lives and brands.

This is why Live Photos are a great medium for Insta, whether you’re sharing them via your Story or in your general feed. Though it’s not yet possible to upload a Live Photo straight to Instagram, there are plenty of workarounds that we’ve highlighted here.

While Boomerangs, Bounces, and Loops all sound like crazy circus tricks, they’re actually all here to help you jazz up your Instagram feed and make a deeper connection with your followers.

Building relationships with your followers will help grow your account, boost engagement, and generally make your Insta platform a thriving community of fun and frolics.

Do you share Live Photos with your Instagram audience? Post a link if you have. I’d love to check it out!

How do I share someone's feed post to my Instagram story?

Help Center

Instagram Features

Stories

You can only post someone else's post to your story if the author of the post has made their account public and allowed their posts to be reposted. Not everyone can share a post from the feed in their story.

To share someone's feed post to your story:

Instagram app for Android and iPhone

Click the icon below a photo or video in the feed.

Select Add Post to Your Story, Add Video to Your Story, or Add Reels Video to Story.

Press in the lower right corner of the screen.

Click Share.

Instagram Lite app for Android

If you share someone's post in your story, every person who has viewed it will be able to see the name of the author and go to his account. Learn more about how to share a store in an Instagram story.

If you have a public account, you can prevent other people from sharing your stories.

To prevent people from sharing your posts in Stories:

Instagram app for Android and iPhone

Tap the or icon on your profile photo in the bottom right corner of the screen to go to your profile.

Click the icon in the upper right corner of the screen and select Settings.

Click Privacy and select History.

Click next to Allow reposts in stories.

Instagram Lite app for Android

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How to Repost on Instagram Stories - Step by Step Guide

The Instagram Stories* section is amazing with so many possibilities. Among them there are functions without which the SMM manager is like without hands. Let's talk about simple but effective: how to share a story on Instagram*, post an IGTV announcement or a post there.

Let's figure out what exactly you can repost in your stories:

other people's stories on which you are tagged;
posts from your feed;
posts from someone else's feed;
videos from the IGTV section - from your own or someone else's account (preview 15 seconds).

Let's see how it works.

How to repost stories on Instagram* that you're tagged in

When your account is tagged in a story, a tag notification is sent to your private messages. It also contains an active "Add Story" link to click on.

How to repost stories on Instagram*: steps one and two

The standard Stories editing window will open. Optionally, you can add a link (available for accounts with more than 10,000 followers), stickers, text, and filters.

Next, send the post to your stories. Done - you are amazing!

How to repost a video or photo from your feed to Stories

To share your own or someone else's post in your story, click on the airplane icon below the post and select "Add post to your Story". The story editing page will open, where you can add a link, stickers, and more.

Share the post in your Story and enjoy

By the way, if you don't want your stories to be reposted all in a row, disable this feature in the settings.

Find Stories in the "Privacy" section, manage reposts there

How to repost a video from the IGTV section to your Story

The principle here is the same as for posts. If you want to share, for example, a cool live stream, start watching in the IGTV section of the blogger who hosted it, click the plane below the video and select "Add video to your Story."

Post from your Story with some kind of inscription to encourage viewing

Repost via SMMplanner

For those who like to work from a computer, the SMMplanner delayed posting service allows you to repost posts in the Stories of any of your Instagram accounts*.

Start planning your Story with the click of a button Select the account where you want to post in the Story

If you select a project with several accounts, you will be able to announce the post of one account in the History of another.

Go to the "Stickers" tab and select the "Post" sticker Posts of your account have opened, select the one you need Done. Position the main image of the post and publish

Read more about delayed posting of Stories with cool design in the article “Delayed Instagram* Stories Constructor by SMMplanner”.

Reposts on Instagram* is a useful feature for effective work on account content:

Reposting posts in Stories allows you to announce new posts. We recommend doing this immediately or 4 hours after the release of the post. Everyone who missed the appearance of the publication in the feed will see the announcement in the stories. Use catchy headlines to keep users interested.
With the help of reposts with your marks, you can stimulate the activity of subscribers and generate user-generated content. Use social proof to increase the credibility of your products or services with your followers.
By promoting a video from IGTV, you contribute to the growth of video views. If the number of views grows significantly, the video will move up and be in the recommended feed, which will also increase the reach.
Learn more