iPhone Photo Slideshow: Step-by-Step Setup

This guide shows you how to turn a collection of photos on your iPhone into a video slideshow, either with the built-in Photos app or with a quick shortcut. You’ll learn how to choose photos, set the duration and music, and export the final video to share. No extra apps are required for the basic method.

What You’ll Need

An iPhone running iOS 13 or later (the steps use the current Photos app interface)
The photos you want to include saved in your Photos library
Optional: a music track from your Apple Music library or Files app for background audio

Step-by-Step

Open the Photos app on your iPhone. Tap the Library tab at the bottom to see all your photos and videos.
Select the photos you want in the slideshow. Tap “Select” in the top-right corner, then tap each photo to add a blue checkmark. You can select photos from different days or albums by tapping the back arrow and navigating to another folder while keeping your selection.
Tap the Share button (the square with an arrow pointing up) at the bottom-left of the screen.
Scroll down in the share sheet and tap “Slideshow” (it may be under the “Actions” section). This opens a preview player immediately.
Adjust the slideshow settings while the preview is playing: tap the screen to reveal controls, then tap the “Options” button (the three overlapping circles icon) in the bottom-right corner.
Choose a theme from the list: “Memories”, “Magic”, or “Classic”. “Classic” is the simplest with no fancy transitions; “Magic” adds Ken Burns-style zoom effects; “Memories” uses a cinematic style with music.
Set the music: tap “Music” and choose a track from your Apple Music library. If you don’t see a track, you may need to add it to your library first. To have no music, select “No Music” at the top of the list.
Adjust the duration: tap “Duration” and choose how long each photo stays on screen (2, 3, 5, or 10 seconds). This setting applies to all photos in the slideshow.
Preview the slideshow by tapping the play button. Use the scrubber at the bottom to jump to any point.
Export the slideshow as a video: tap the Share button (the square with an arrow) in the top-right corner of the preview, then choose “Save Video”. The slideshow will be rendered as a video file and saved to your Photos library as a new video.
Share or edit the video after saving: you can send it via Messages, AirDrop, or upload to social media directly from the share sheet. To edit the video further, open it in the Photos app and use the built-in video editor to trim or adjust.

Common Mistakes

Selecting videos along with photos: If you include video clips, they will play as part of the slideshow, which can break the timing. Stick to still photos unless you want that effect.
Not having music in your library: The Music picker only shows songs you’ve added to Apple Music or purchased. Free songs from other apps won’t appear unless you download them into the Music app.
Confusing “Slideshow” with “Memory”: The Slideshow button creates a simple video; Memories are auto-generated albums with themes. They are different features.
Forgetting to save the video: The preview alone doesn’t create a file. You must tap the Share button and then “Save Video” to get a permanent video file.

Tips

For a longer slideshow, select up to 100 photos in one go. If you need more, create an album first and then select all from that album.
Use the “Classic” theme for a clean, professional look with no zoom effects. It’s best for presentations or family events.
To change the order of photos, you can’t reorder them directly in the slideshow. Instead, create a new album and arrange the photos in the order you want before starting the slideshow.
If you want a slideshow with custom timing per photo, consider using the Shortcuts app: create a custom shortcut that loops through photos with a “Wait” action. This gives you more control but requires a bit of setup.
For a quick slideshow without saving a video, you can just play it in the Photos app and share the screen with AirPlay to a TV.

Troubleshooting

Slideshow button is grayed out or missing: This usually means you haven’t selected any photos. Make sure you have at least one photo selected. If you’re in an album, tap “Select” and choose photos first.

Music doesn’t appear in the list: The slideshow only shows music that is available in your Apple Music library (including songs you’ve added from Apple Music or synced from a computer). If you have a song in your Files app, you can’t use it directly in the slideshow. You can convert it to a video with the song using a third-party app, or add the song to your Music library via iTunes on a computer.

The slideshow saves as a video but has no sound: Check that you selected a music track and that the volume is not muted on your iPhone. Also, if you chose “No Music”, the video will be silent. You can add music later using the Photos app’s video editor (tap Edit on the video, then the music icon).

The slideshow is too short or too long: Adjust the duration per photo. If you have 50 photos at 3 seconds each, that’s 150 seconds (2.5 minutes). To make it longer, increase the duration to 5 or 10 seconds. To make it shorter, use 2 seconds.

Can’t find the saved video: After tapping “Save Video”, the video is saved to your Photos library. Look for it in the “Recents” album or search for “Slideshow” in the search bar. It will appear as a video with a duration equal to the slideshow length.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add text or captions to the slideshow? No, the built-in slideshow doesn’t support text overlays. You can add text using the Photos app’s Markup tool on individual photos before creating the slideshow, but that will appear on the photo itself. For captions, you’d need a third-party video editor.

How many photos can I include? You can select up to 100 photos in one selection. If you need more, create an album with all the photos and then select all from that album (the limit applies to the selection, not the album).

Can I use a song from Spotify or YouTube? No, the slideshow only accesses your Apple Music library. You can’t directly use songs from Spotify or YouTube. You could record the audio and add it as a file, but that’s not straightforward.

Is there a way to make a slideshow without saving a video? Yes, you can just play the slideshow in the Photos app and share your screen via AirPlay. It won’t create a file, but it’s fine for a quick presentation.

Can I change the order of photos after selecting them? Not in the slideshow itself. You need to reorder the photos in an album before starting the slideshow. Create a new album, add the photos in the order you want, then start the slideshow from that album.

Why does my slideshow look different from the preview? The preview may show a lower resolution for speed. The saved video is rendered at full resolution, so it should look better. If it looks worse, check that you’re not zooming in on low-resolution photos.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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