The Storage Hog
By default, whenever you take a picture on your iPhone, Apple uses a feature called “Live Photos.” The camera actually begins recording a video 1.5 seconds before you press the shutter button, and continues recording for 1.5 seconds after. This results in a 3-second, high-definition video file attached to every single picture you take. While this is a fun gimmick for capturing a child blowing out birthday candles, it consumes a massive amount of internal storage space. If you simply want to take high-quality, static photographs without filling up your iCloud drive with accidental 3-second videos of your pocket, you must disable the Live feature.
How to Turn Off Live Photos Permanently
You can force the Camera app to permanently remember your preference via the system settings.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down and tap on Camera.
- Tap on Preserve Settings.
- Look for the toggle switch labeled Live Photo.
- Toggle this switch to the On position (this forces the camera to remember if you turned it off).
- Close the Settings app and open your Camera app.
- Look in the top right corner for the Live Photo icon (three concentric circles).
- Tap the icon so that a slash appears through it and a yellow “Live Off” banner briefly displays.
Static Photographs Only
The change takes effect immediately. Because you altered the “Preserve Settings” menu first, the camera will never automatically turn Live Photos back on. From now on, when you press the shutter button, the iPhone will capture one single, high-resolution, static photograph, drastically reducing the file size and saving your storage space.