7 apps to bring your photos to life on iOS and Android

GIFs have gained popularity in messengers, especially in Telegram. It is a full-fledged language of communication. On Instagram, it is customary to surprise with superimposed effects. One of the most attractive is cinemagraphs, which is when one part of the image is moving, and the rest are located statically. For example, the waves go, but on the shore people and birds do not move. Collected applications in which you can impose such an effect on a photo.

Cinemagraph Pro

Platform: iOS
Price: free, with in-app purchases

The most versatile iOS app. It offers all the basic tools for creating animation on a standard jpeg snapshot or a gif with cinemagraphs from a video file.

A set of basic effects is available, you can also create them yourself and save templates. The photo is saved in H.264, HEVC, Live Photo or GIF formats.
Best features of the app:

• processing of any video shot on a tripod in resolution up to 4K
• Easily crop a fixed part of the picture
• Working with layers to blend moving and stationary parts of a photo
• Adjusting the speed of the picture
• iCloud Drive support and the ability to continue editing on another device.

Cinegraph – Living Photos

Platform: iOS
Price: 179 r

Paid alternative to Cinemagraph Pro. It differs in the simplicity of the interface: all you need to do to create a live photo is to select the area that you want to make moving.

The main features of Cinegraph – Living Photos:

• Choosing the best Live Photo frame
• Animation speed control
• Cropping video
• 4K support
• Save file as video or GIF

Motionleap от Lightricks

Platform: iOS, Android
Price: Free, with in-app purchases

The app is a little more complex than Cinemagraph Pro, and it is also available on Android. In addition to enlivening the photo, here you can change the color of the sky, add weather effects.

The main features of the cinemagraph in the application:

• Simplicity of the interface
• Setting the direction of movement of the image (it is convenient to do this using the arrows)
• Spot selection of still image areas

Plotagraph – 3D Image Animator

Platform: iOS, Android
Price: free, with in-app purchases

A multifunctional photo processing application, cinemagraph is just one of the possibilities. In addition, it offers brightness and color adjustment, working with layers, video processing and other functions.

You will love it if you are actively working with photography on your smartphone. In other cases, it is better to use Cinemagraph Pro – it is easier to use: this application is designed specifically for cinemagraphs, it does not have dozens of incomprehensible functions and settings.

Main Cinemagraph Features in Plotagraph – 3D Image Animator:

• Create animations in up to HD resolution
• Setting animation speed
• Working with layers
• Apple Pencil compatible (valid for iPad)

GIPHY

Platform: iOS, Android
Price: free, with in-app purchases

You may know this service as a GIF store, but it is also a moving picture app. Here you can create GIFs from videos, edit them and search for those already uploaded.

Main features of GIPHY:

• Record video to create GIFs right in the app
• Create GIFs from videos
• Overlay stickers
• Applying filters with effects

ImgPlay

Platform: iOS, Android
Price: free, with in-app purchases

Another application with a standard set of tools. The downside is the watermark in the free version.

Main features of the application:

• Create GIF animations from video files
• Create GIFs from multiple shots
• Convert Live Photo to GIF Animation (For iPhone Owners)
• Image size adjustment
• Overlay filters, text, stickers

Werble

Platform: iOS
Price: free, with in-app purchases

The basic features of Werble are available for free, but additional ones will have to be paid for using in-app purchases. You will have to pay to remove the watermark. It is worth noting that this sign is quite large.

In the free version, the functionality of the application is limited. Most of the Werble animation is done by applying effect filters that are added on top of the image.