Skip to main content

Google’s Motion Stills app now can make cinemagraphs and add motion text

Google’s Motion Stills app now can make cinemagraphs and add motion text

/

Still not on Android, though

Share this story

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

Google Motion Stills took the untapped potential of Apple's Live Photos and made them a killer feature by instantly turning them into GIFs.

Now, Google is adding even more features to Motion Stills that further enhance its toolset. The app now offers the ability to add "motion text" to an image, that can track and move along with motion in the photo. Google's example shows a caption following a bird in flight, and the execution looks pretty slick. 

Additionally, Motion Stills can now create cinemagraphs. By using machine learning to analyze the imported Live Photo, Google's app can freeze the background and create an endlessly looping transition of motion.

The newly updated Motion Stills app is available now, assuming you have an iPhone 6s or 7 that can support Apple's Live Photo features. Android users are still out of luck for now.