How to Make a Long Exposure Photo on Your Phone
A long exposure photo keeps the still parts of a scene sharp while anything that moves turns into a smooth blur. Think of a waterfall that looks like silk, or a busy street where passing cars become streaks. Traditional cameras do this by leaving the shutter open for a long time. Phones get there differently, and both iPhone and Pixel have a built-in way to do it with no extra apps.
Here is how each one works, according to Apple's and Google's own documentation, and how to get a clean result.
1. On iPhone: the Long Exposure effect for Live Photos
On iPhone, long exposure is not a camera mode. It is an effect you apply afterward to a Live Photo.
Apple explains that with Live Photos, "your iPhone records what happens 1.5 seconds before and after you take a picture." That is about 3 seconds of motion in total. The Long Exposure effect, in Apple's words, "simulates a DSLR-like long exposure effect by blurring motion" across those frames.
1.1. Step 1: make sure Live Photo is on
Apple's camera guide notes that Live Photo is on by default in Photo mode. You can check it in the camera tools: tap Live and choose Auto, On, or Off. For a planned long exposure shot, choose On so the phone does not decide for you.
One catch: Apple states that "Live Photos aren't available when ProRAW or HEIF Max is turned on." If you normally shoot in those formats, switch back to the standard format for this kind of shot.
1.2. Step 2: take the photo and hold still
Apple's instructions for taking a Live Photo include a simple step that matters more than anything else here: "Hold your device still." Because the effect blends frames from before and after the moment you tap the shutter, any movement of the phone blurs the whole picture, not just the moving subject. Keep holding still for a moment after you tap.
1.3. Step 3: apply the effect
- Open the photo in the Photos app.
- Tap Live in the top-left corner.
- Choose Long Exposure.
The same menu offers Loop and Bounce, and Live Off to remove any effect. Apple warns that if you edit a Live Photo in a third-party app, "you might lose any Live Photo effects that you've applied," so finish the effect in Photos first.
2. On Pixel: Long Exposure in Motion mode
Pixel builds long exposure into the camera itself through Motion mode. Google's Pixel Camera Help lists the steps:
- Open the Camera app.
- In the photo mode carousel, tap Motion.
- Choose Long Exposure.
- "To add a creative blur to a moving subject, hold your camera still," then tap Shutter.
Google adds that "the exposure starts when you tap Shutter," and that "the length of exposure adapts to motion in the scene, and also depends on the size and speed of the item in focus." In other words, the phone decides how long to gather motion rather than giving you a fixed timer.
2.1. Which Pixels support it
According to Google's availability table, Long Exposure works on Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 7a, Pixel Fold, Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel 8a, Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold. It is not available on Pixel 6a or on Pixel 5a (5G) and earlier.
Motion mode also includes Action Pan, which does the reverse: you follow a moving subject so the subject stays sharp and the background blurs. Google says it works best with "a person with a visible face" who is actually moving.
3. Getting a clean result on either phone
- Brace the phone. Rest it on a railing, a wall, or a small tripod. The still parts of the scene only stay sharp if the phone does not move.
- Pick a scene with one clear moving element. Water, traffic, or people walking past a still building work well, because the contrast between blur and sharpness is the whole point.
- Keep the moving part in frame the whole time. On iPhone, motion that enters or leaves during the 3 seconds still gets blended in.
- Shoot a few versions. The amount of blur depends on how fast things move, so take several and keep the best.
- Decide whether you want the blur at all. On iPhone, you can always switch the photo back to Live or to Live Off later.
4. Quick comparison
| iPhone | Pixel | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it lives | Effect applied to a Live Photo in the Photos app | Long Exposure option in Motion mode |
| Motion captured | 1.5 seconds before and after the tap, about 3 seconds | Starts at the tap; length adapts to the scene |
| Main requirement | Live Photo on; not available with ProRAW or HEIF Max | Supported Pixel model (not Pixel 6a or 5a and earlier) |
| Biggest mistake | Moving the phone during the capture | Moving the phone during the capture |
5. Key takeaways
- On iPhone, long exposure is an effect for Live Photos: open the photo, tap Live, and choose Long Exposure.
- A Live Photo records 1.5 seconds before and after the shutter, so hold the phone still through the whole window.
- Live Photos are unavailable while ProRAW or HEIF Max is on.
- On Pixel, use Motion mode and choose Long Exposure; the exposure length adapts to the motion in the scene.
- On both phones, a steady phone and a scene with a single clear moving element give the best results.