The Most Underrated iPhone Camera Feature You Should Never Turn Off (And How I Use It)

Even after reviewing the latest Android, I keep returning to my iPhone as my daily driver, and not because of iMessage or AirDrop or how well it works with my MacBook. While I love the camera capabilities of competitors’ flip phones and phones with 1-inch sensors, I prefer capturing life’s moments with my iPhone.

That’s because iPhone allows you to capture a lot of behind-the-scenes footage where the most natural emotions and gestures occur. This is made possible by the Live Photos feature.

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For those who don’t know, Live Photos allows you to capture what happens 1.5 seconds before and 1.5 seconds after you tap the shutter button. You can then edit additional frames or even export as a short video or “boomerang.” Here are some examples of why I never turn off Live Photos (it’s on by default) and encourage you to do the same.

First, it seems impossible for parents to keep their eyes open at the same time when taking family photos. If you have children or pets, you may be able to relate to this. Thankfully, Live Photos lets you sift through frames before and after the initial capture, so you can choose the ones that look perfect. It feels even better when you play a Live Photo and see both parents posing, happy in the moment, and looking at each other with that “please, let me take one” look .

Here’s another example of how to use Live Photos, jumping to take an aerial shot. Adjusting the frame will make the “after” photo more dramatic and perfect. No matter how much I explain how I want, it is not always possible for the other person to press the shutter button at the very moment when I am in the air. Luckily my gallery showed these additional frames and I was able to select the best shots.

Similarly, if you take a few selfies with your loved ones, you can move the frame to emphasize the chaotic energy and export it as a short video. Seeing the subject in the frame doing something you didn’t expect to be photographed creates a special and authentic feeling.

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Live Photos also have an audio element. Last month I attended a close friend’s birthday and her reaction when she saw her cake was priceless. I was able to get the still images I wanted, but using her Live Photos made the photos even better because I could hear her thrills and laughter.

Note that other phones have similar features, but they are not exactly the same. When I recently tested the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, I was drawn to the motion photos. The problem with this feature and other Android interpretations is the lack of optimization for social media apps. For example, the iPhone and Instagram integration is much better, and you can now create boomerangs from your Live Photos with one tap, which is simple and time-saving.

Adding effects like long exposure (for beach videos) and loops (for videos of animals and fast-moving subjects) gives you even more room to play with post-editing in iOS.

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If you are actively creating Instagram Reels, Live Photos are not recommended. Reels requires binning lots of short videos, but Live Photos makes it easier than ever because all your existing photos essentially become video clips. It’s helpful because Instagram automatically imports Live Photos as short videos instead of still images.

To be honest, I’m not very good at editing or shooting videos with content in mind when I’m traveling, I prefer to be in the moment. Instead, when you return from a trip and want to create a short montage from what you captured, Live Photos is a godsend. The reel above was created by combining multiple Live Photos during my trip to Vienna. The same goes for the photos I took this past year.