Free Apple Live Photo Diagnostic
Check whether a Live Photo's image and MOV video are correctly linked by their content identifier, privately in your browser.
1. Add the pair
2. Diagnosis
Add both files to begin.
Processed entirely in your browser. Diagnosis only — this tool does not modify or repair your files.
How to check a Live Photo pair
- Add the still image (HEIC or JPEG) and the paired .mov video.
- The tool reads each file's content identifier independently.
- Review whether they match, and what was found in each file.
Why Live Photos break
A Live Photo is two separate files linked only by a matching identifier stored in each file's metadata. Editing, converting, or transferring either file through software that doesn't preserve this metadata breaks the link, even though both files still look normal on their own.
An honest note on how confident this tool is
The video side uses Apple's own documented QuickTime metadata format and is read reliably. The image side relies on the Apple Maker Note, which has no official specification and is only understood through independent reverse-engineering — this tool reads it on a best-effort basis and will say so plainly rather than report a guessed value. This is a diagnostic prototype, not a repair tool.
Common use cases
- Find out why a Live Photo lost its motion after editing or transferring
- Check whether an image and MOV file share the same content identifier
- Diagnose a Live Photo pairing issue before trying to fix it manually
Frequently asked questions
Are my files uploaded?
No. Everything is read locally in your browser.
Can this fix a broken Live Photo?
No. This version only diagnoses pairing — it doesn't attempt to repair or re-link files.
Why does it say the image side is inconclusive?
The Apple Maker Note format used to store the image-side identifier isn't officially documented. Rather than guess, this tool reports when it can't confidently confirm a value.
What does a mismatch mean?
The two files have different content identifiers, meaning something in their history — an edit, an export, or a file rename by other software — broke the original pairing.
Does this work for every Live Photo?
It targets the standard HEIC/JPEG + MOV pairing convention. Unusual export tools or heavily edited files may not match the expected structure.