Facebook Now Supports Apple’s Live Photos
Facebook has added the ability to upload and view Live Photos from within its iOS app. People who view those photos on an iPhone or iPad running iOS 9 will see the photos you shared as Live Photos.
Everybody else — such as those with Android phones, Macs, or Windows PCs — will just see a conventional 12MP still picture.
A Live Photo is a combination of still image and video, shot on the iPhone6 and 6S. You also get the moments before and after the picture was taken along with sound to bring the photo to life. When you press and hold on the image, it plays a three-second video that was automatically recorded at the same time.
Apple says,
“At the heart of a Live Photo is a beautiful 12-megapixel photo.”
Uploading a Live Photo is pretty similar to uploading your standard still. The phone automatically records video in the background when the camera app is open. The recording is immediately discarded if you do nothing. When you snap a shot, the phone saves a second and a half of video leading to that shot and continues recording until you get three seconds in all.
Facebook is the second service to add support for Live Photos. Tumblr started displaying them on its iOS app from December 10th.
How to Post Live Photos on Facebook
- From the News Feed, click Photo and select your Live Photo (look for the concentric Live Photo circle in the corner)
- Before you hit Post, tap on the lower righthand corner of the photo where it says “Live” — this will ensure you upload in the Live format.
- Add a caption as you normally would and click Post
Facebook isn’t pushing support out to everyone at once. A small number of iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S users are currently testing out this feature. Facebook plans to expand its availability in the coming weeks and months.