Open the Live Photo in Photos and tap Edit. Tap the Live Photo button, drag the white frame along the strip of thumbnails until you see the moment you want, let go, then tap Make Key Photo and Done. The motion stays the same; only the still image changes.
What is the key photo of a Live Photo?
The key photo is the single still frame that represents the Live Photo everywhere it is not moving. It is what you see in your library grid, in a widget, in a shared album thumbnail, and in any place that only accepts a still image.
A Live Photo is a still image paired with a short clip. Apple says the camera records about 1.5 seconds before and 1.5 seconds after you press the shutter, so there are roughly three seconds of frames to choose from. By default the key photo is the moment you pressed the button. That is usually right, but it is also the moment people blink, a dog turns its head, or your hand shakes. If you want the background on what a Live Photo actually stores, see what a Live Photo is.
How do you change the key photo on iPhone?
You change it in the Photos app, in the edit screen for that photo. Apple’s steps are:
- Open the Photos app and open the Live Photo. To find them quickly, tap Collections, scroll to Media Types, and tap Live Photos.
- Tap the Edit button.
- Tap the Live Photo button (the icon made of concentric circles).
- Drag the white frame along the strip of thumbnails. The large preview updates as you move, so you can stop on the exact moment you want.
- Let go, then tap Make Key Photo.
- Tap Done.
That is the whole process. The steps come from Apple’s own guide, Take and edit Live Photos; the wording of buttons can shift slightly between iOS versions, but the order has stayed the same for years. Apple also documents it in the iPhone User Guide under Edit Live Photos on iPhone.
A small white dot stays above the strip to mark the original key photo, which makes it easy to go back if you change your mind before tapping Done.
Which frame should you pick?
Pick the frame that works as a still, not the one in the middle of the best motion. Those are often different frames. Use this as a quick guide:
| What you are fixing | Frame to look for |
|---|---|
| Someone blinked | The first frame where their eyes are fully open, usually a few thumbnails earlier |
| Motion blur on a moving subject | The top or bottom of the movement, where the subject briefly stops |
| A group shot | The frame where the most faces look at the camera; accept one imperfect face |
| A jump or splash | The peak of the action, even if it is slightly soft |
| A photo you will set as a wallpaper | A frame with clear space at the top, where the lock screen clock sits |
Drag slowly. Each thumbnail covers several frames, and the preview changes between thumbnails, so small movements matter.
What changes after you set a new key photo, and what doesn’t?
Only the still changes. The motion, the sound and the length stay exactly as they were.
- Changes: the thumbnail in your library, the image shown before you press and hold, and the picture that gets sent when you share the still on its own. How each sharing route treats the motion is covered in how to send a Live Photo so it still moves.
- Does not change: the clip that plays, the audio, the date, the location, and any albums the photo is in.
Two caveats are worth knowing. First, the new still comes from the video part of the Live Photo, so it can look softer than the original when you zoom in. Second, Apple’s iPhone User Guide notes that a Live Photo taken with a portrait effect on iPhone 15 or later loses that portrait effect when you change the key photo. If the blurred background matters more than the exact moment, leave the key photo alone.
If you plan to turn the photo into a looping clip afterwards, set the key photo first. Effects are applied from the Live Photo button near the top of the photo, and Loop, Bounce and Long Exposure each change what is displayed.
Why can’t I change the key photo?
Almost always the photo is not a Live Photo any more, or the frame strip has not been opened. Work through these in order:
- Check that it is a Live Photo. In the Photos app it should appear under Collections, Media Types, Live Photos. A normal photo or a video has no key photo to change.
- Open the right control. After tapping Edit you must tap the Live Photo button. The frame strip is not shown on the default adjustments screen.
- Drag before you look for the button. Make Key Photo appears only once the white frame sits on a different thumbnail and you have lifted your finger.
- Switch the effect back to Live. If the photo is set to Loop, Bounce or Long Exposure, set it back to Live and try again. Apple does not document this requirement, so treat it as something to try rather than a rule.
- Check whether another app edited it. Apple warns that editing a Live Photo in a third-party app can remove Live Photo effects you applied. If the motion is gone, there are no other frames to choose from.
If the wallpaper is the real goal and iOS is refusing to animate it, the cause is usually something else entirely. The fixes are in our guide to Live Photo wallpapers.
Can you choose the cover frame before the Live Photo exists?
Yes, when you make the Live Photo from a video instead of taking it with the camera. In that case no shutter press decides the key photo for you, so you can choose it up front.
The free video to Live Photo tool lets you trim a clip to between one and three seconds and pick the cover frame in the browser, without uploading the file. That order is easier than fixing it afterwards: you see the whole clip, choose the still you want people to see first, and the Live Photo is created with that frame already set. For a wallpaper, keep the clip short; the reasons are in how long a Live Photo can be.
How do you undo a key photo change?
Open the photo, tap Edit, then tap Revert. Photos keeps the original alongside your edits, so reverting restores the first key photo at full quality.
Revert is all or nothing. It removes the key photo change together with any trim, crop, filter or adjustment on the same photo. If you only want the old still back and want to keep the other edits, open the frame strip again, drag the white frame to the dot that marks the original key photo, and tap Make Key Photo.
Frequently asked questions
Does changing the key photo change how long the Live Photo is?
No. The key photo only decides which frame is shown as the still image. The motion keeps its full length. Trimming is a separate edit: in the same frame strip you drag the two ends inward to shorten the clip, then tap Done.
Will the new cover photo look as sharp as the original?
Often it looks a little softer when you zoom in. The original still is a full-resolution photo, while the other frames come from the short video part of the Live Photo. Apple does not publish the exact difference, so check the result at full size before you rely on it for a print.
Can I get the original cover photo back?
Yes. Edits in Photos are not destructive. Open the Live Photo, tap Edit, then tap Revert to go back to the original. Revert removes every edit on that photo, so if you also trimmed or cropped it you will need to redo those changes.
What does someone see when I send a Live Photo with a new key photo?
They see your new key photo as the still image, and the motion plays when they press and hold. If you turn LIVE off in the share sheet, or send it by Mail, only the still image is sent, and that still is the key photo you chose.
Why is there no Make Key Photo button?
The button only appears after you drag the white frame to a different thumbnail and let go. If you see no frame strip at all, the picture is probably not a Live Photo, or Live has been turned off for it. Look for it under Collections, Media Types, Live Photos.
By the AliveShot team · Last updated