A moving photo is a "light video".

A while ago, there was controversy over whether the iPhone 16 series would support WeChat, but with Apple approving the release of WeChat iOS 8.0.51, this drama has come to an end.

Although the WeChat team proudly left a message in the update log stating "fixed some known issues," in reality, WeChat hid a huge surprise for iOS users. On the evening of September 19, the WeChat official account announced that the Moments feature now supports Live Photos.

(Image source: WeChat official account)

It is understood that this feature is gradually being rolled out to iOS 8.0.51 and above versions, and users who cannot view or send Live Photos yet need to wait for the hot update. As of press time, WeChat has pushed out the iOS 8.0.52 version, but some users still cannot post/view Live Photos.

(Image source: WeChat)

It must be said that although Live Photos are not a new concept, they have become one of the most talked-about features this year. For example, the OPPO Reno 12 series gained popularity due to its ability to post Live Photos on Xiaohongshu. Vivo and Honor have also officially announced their first batch of models supporting Live Photos. Clearly, gaining the ability to post Live Photos on social platforms has become a key battleground for smartphone manufacturers.

How did Moments photos come to life?

When it comes to Live Photos, iOS users are certainly no strangers.

Live Photo, introduced with the iPhone 6S in 2015, allows users to capture a 3-second video simultaneously when taking a photo. Users can activate Live Photos with 3D Touch in the photo album, where the static photo will automatically play the video with accompanying sound.

(Image source: Apple)

Functionally, Live Photos were born for social sharing, offering quick recording, easy operation, and convenient sharing. In 2016, Tumblr became one of the first platforms to support posting/viewing Live Photos, and Instagram joined the "Live Photo family" a few months later.

As for domestic social platforms, Weibo was the most proactive. Earlier than Tumblr, Weibo updated its last public beta version at the end of 2015 to support posting/viewing Live Photos, but it was temporarily removed due to technical issues and returned in 2019.

(Image source: Weibo)

Although iPhone laid the groundwork for Live Photos nine years ago, not many social platforms actively supported them. As of now, only mainstream platforms like Weibo, Xiaohongshu, Douyin, Facebook (Meta), Instagram, and others support Live Photos.

And now, with the latest update, WeChat finally supports posting/viewing Live Photos on Moments.

According to the official announcement, this update needs to be gradually rolled out, meaning even if your app version is 8.0.51, you'll need to wait for official adaptation. It wasn't until today that I received the hot update and was able to post and view Live Photos. However, there's still room for improvement, such as the inability to mute the original sound of Moments Live Photos and the occasional flipping of photos when posting Live Photos.

(Image source: WeChat)

Additionally, this update only supports iOS, and Android users may need to wait for future updates.

According to WeChat's official data, as of the end of 2023, WeChat Moments had 900 million views and 300 million posts, with at least half of WeChat users checking Moments daily. It's no exaggeration to say that Moments is one of the most popular social features today. With WeChat joining the "Live Photo family," it's bound to spark a wave of Live Photo sharing.

OPPO leads the way in Android Live Photos

Live Photos have been around for a few years and are no longer a secret. Following iPhone, HTC, Samsung, and Xiaomi have also introduced their dynamic photo modes, all with similar principles. Currently, almost no smartphone brand does not support capturing dynamic photos, but each has its format and presentation style without a standard solution.

OPPO was the first brand to break the barrier of sharing Live Photos on social media platforms for Android. With the Reno 12 series launched this year, OPPO announced support for posting/viewing Live Photos on Xiaohongshu. Although this feature is currently exclusive to the Reno 12 series, rumors suggest that the Find X8 series will also support it initially.

(Image source: Xiaohongshu)

Ultimately, the support for Live Photos boils down to a game between platforms and manufacturers. As mentioned earlier, the essence of Live Photos is capturing a static photo while simultaneously recording a 3-second video. On iOS, Apple has designed a dedicated recognition scheme, allowing developers to directly identify Live Photos using corresponding code.

However, Android currently lacks a unified standard. If developers need to identify a manufacturer's solution, each platform must actively adapt. Among them, Xiaohongshu is the most efficient, already supporting posting/viewing Live Photos on some vivo, iQOO, and Honor models and expecting to integrate more brands in the future.

(Image source: vivo/Honor)

Weibo followed Xiaohongshu's lead and added support for viewing Live Photos in a recent update to its Android client, but it does not yet support posting them.

In fact, smartphone manufacturers' previous lack of enthusiasm for adapting Live Photos was also related to imaging technology. As mentioned earlier, Live Photos are essentially videos. Early Android manufacturers did not prioritize video recording, but it has gradually matured with hardware and algorithm support in recent years, with models like the OPPO Find X7 Ultra and vivo X100 Ultra showcasing video recording as a core selling point.

(Image source: vivo)

On the other hand, mobile imaging technology has nearly reached its peak, and it's difficult for any camera flagship to outperform others significantly. With hardware becoming increasingly standardized, manufacturers are seeking more engaging features for everyday users. For example, this year's camera flagships have focused on concerts, which are challenging scenes with extreme lighting, stages, and long distances, highlighting imaging prowess. Sharing concert footage on Moments, Weibo, and Xiaohongshu is a popular social activity among young people.

In essence, smartphone manufacturers are targeting Live Photos for two reasons: first, to continue exploring the fun of mobile imaging and increase user engagement by collaborating with social platforms to showcase brand uniqueness; second, to compete with iPhone by offering features like Live Photos and AirDrop, which have been traditionally associated with the iOS ecosystem.

Live Photos = "Light Videos," the inevitability of video-centric content

Earlier, Douyin had a trending topic titled "Live Photos make those movements traceable," where many users shared "unexpected" photos captured with the Live Photo feature, which were quite amusing.

In fact, the popularity of Live Photos is inseparable from their difference from static images. Live Photos display a few seconds of dynamic imagery when lightly touched, capturing not just a moment in time but also emotions and details. This unique presentation turns photos into dynamic experiences full of life. When sharing Live Photos, users are more likely to resonate with friends and followers, as these dynamic snippets often convey more stories and emotions than static images.

(Image source: Douyin)

Why do people prefer "moving photos" over "short videos" or "GIFs"? This may be closely related to the rise of short video culture in recent years. Platforms like Douyin and Kuaishou have cultivated users' preference for dynamic content. In some ways, Live Photos combine the simplicity of static photos with the fun and interactivity of short videos. This lightweight video expression requires no complex editing and provides a similar social sharing experience to short videos, catering to modern users' preference for quick and concise content consumption.

From the perspective of smartphone manufacturers, with mobile imaging technology nearing its limits, returning to basics may be a better choice. By increasing the ways to share photography works, they can stimulate user demand and explore new avenues. Therefore, it's likely that in the near future, whether on iOS, Android, or HarmonyOS NEXT, Live Photos will become one of the most important ways to share photography works.

Source: Leitech