How to export a GIF from a Motion Photo in Google Photos

Google Photos has a built-in GIF maker. Here’s how to use it!

GIFs — with a hard “G”, don’t fight me on this — are a great way to show a short animation, either to embarrass your coworkers or to display things that a static image wouldn’t do justice. One feature Google introduced with the Pixel 2 line was Motion Photos: one or two second videos, straight from your phone’s camera.

But playing back a Motion Photo is another story. You could play them back within Google Photos, but sharing them to Imgur or Twitter isn’t supported. Now there’s a much better way to share your Motion Photos — export them as a GIF!

Here’s how to export your Motion Photos as GIFs!

Open Google Photos on your phone.
Open the Motion Photo you’d like to export.
Tap the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner.

Tap Export.

Select GIF. You can export the same photo to a video or still photo if you’d prefer.
Tap Export.
You will see a message that says the GIF has been exported. You can tap VIEW to view the GIF, or you can look at it later in your Google Photos library.

From your library, you can download or share the image to wherever you want.

Do you take a lot of Motion Photos? Let us know down below!

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

• Pixel 2 FAQ: Everything you need to know!
• Google Pixel 2 and 2 XL review: The new standard
• Google Pixel 2 specs
• Google Pixel 2 vs. Pixel 2 XL: What’s the difference?
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