How to Turn Off Live Photo on iPad

To turn off Live Photo on an iPad, open the Camera app, tap the circular Live Photo icon (concentric circles) at the top of the screen until it shows a slash through it, then take your photo. This setting applies only to the next photo you take, so you’ll need to toggle it off again if you want it to stay off for future shots. Below, we cover the full process, how to disable it permanently via Settings, how to remove Live Photo from existing images, and related tips.

What Is Live Photo and Why It Matters

Live Photo is a feature on iPad and iPhone that records 1.5 seconds of video before and after you press the shutter, capturing motion and sound. When you view a Live Photo in the Photos app, it plays as a short video-like clip. While this can be fun, it also uses more storage space than a standard still photo and may capture unintended audio or motion. Turning it off is useful when you want a clean still image, want to save space, or are in a quiet environment where the sound recording could be disruptive.

How to Turn Off Live Photo in the Camera App

The most direct method is within the Camera app itself. Here are the steps:

Open the Camera app on your iPad.
Look at the top of the screen (or the side, depending on your orientation) for the Live Photo icon, which looks like a series of concentric circles.
Tap the icon. When Live Photo is on, the icon is yellow (or white with no slash). When you tap it, it will turn gray and a slash will appear through it, indicating it’s off.
Take your photo as usual. The Live Photo setting will revert to on for the next photo unless you turn it off again.

Note: On some iPad models, the icon may be located in the top-right corner of the viewfinder. The icon’s color and slash behavior are consistent across recent iPadOS versions.

How to Keep Live Photo Off Permanently

If you rarely use Live Photo, you can change the default setting so the Camera app opens with it off every time. This is done in the Settings app:

Open Settings on your iPad.
Scroll down and tap Camera.
Tap Preserve Settings.
Toggle on Live Photo. This tells the Camera app to remember your last Live Photo setting. So if you turn it off in the Camera app, it will stay off until you manually turn it back on.

Without this setting, the Camera app resets to Live Photo on every launch. Enabling “Preserve Settings” is the most reliable way to keep it off.

How to Remove Live Photo from Existing Photos

If you already have Live Photos in your library and want to convert them to still images, you can do so directly in the Photos app:

Open the Photos app and select the Live Photo you want to edit.
Tap Edit in the top-right corner.
Tap the Live Photo icon (concentric circles) at the bottom of the screen. It will turn gray, indicating that the Live Photo feature is disabled for this image.
Tap Done to save the change. The photo will remain as a still image, but the original Live Photo data is preserved in case you want to revert later.

This method is useful when you want to keep the photo but remove the motion and sound. Note that this does not delete the original Live Photo; it just turns off the live playback for that image.

Common Problems and Troubleshooting

Sometimes users encounter issues when trying to turn off Live Photo. Here are a few common scenarios:

The icon is not visible: On older iPad models, the Live Photo icon may be hidden. Check if your iPad supports Live Photo (iPad Pro 9.7-inch and later, iPad Air 2 and later, iPad mini 4 and later). If it does, try rotating the device to see if the icon appears on a different side.
The setting doesn’t stick: As mentioned, the Camera app resets to Live Photo on by default. Use the “Preserve Settings” method above to keep it off.
Live Photo is off but photos still have motion: This can happen if you have “Auto Live Photo” enabled in Settings > Camera. This feature automatically turns on Live Photo in low-light conditions. You can turn it off by going to Settings > Camera and toggling off Auto Live Photo.

Live Photo vs. Standard Photo: Which to Use

Choosing between Live Photo and a standard photo depends on your needs. Live Photos are great for capturing candid moments with movement, like a child jumping or a pet moving. They also allow you to choose a different “key photo” (the still frame shown) after the fact. However, they take up more storage space—roughly double a standard photo—and can be distracting when you just want a clean still. For professional work, printing, or sharing on platforms that don’t support Live Photo, turning it off is often the better choice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does turning off Live Photo on iPad affect existing Live Photos?

No, turning off the Live Photo setting in the Camera app only affects new photos you take. Existing Live Photos remain unchanged until you manually edit them in the Photos app.

Can I turn off Live Photo for just one photo without changing the setting?

Yes, you can take a photo with Live Photo off by tapping the icon in the Camera app before shooting. This changes the setting for that single shot only, and the next photo will have Live Photo on again (unless you have “Preserve Settings” enabled).

Why is my Live Photo icon not showing a slash when I tap it?

If the icon doesn’t show a slash, it may be because your iPad model doesn’t support Live Photo, or the setting is being overridden by “Auto Live Photo.” Check your iPad model and disable Auto Live Photo in Settings > Camera if needed.

Will turning off Live Photo save storage space?

Yes, standard photos take up less storage than Live Photos because they don’t include the extra video frames and audio. The exact savings vary by resolution, but you can expect roughly half the file size.

Can I turn off Live Photo on my iPad using the keyboard or Siri?

There is no keyboard shortcut or Siri command to toggle Live Photo. You must use the Camera app interface or the Settings app to change the default behavior.

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

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