Glossary

Live Wallpaper & Live Photo Glossary

Plain-English definitions of the terms behind iPhone live wallpapers — Live Photos, HEIC, spatial scenes and how they differ.

HEIC Format on iPhone: What It Is and Why Live Photos Use It

HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) is Apple iPhone photo format since iOS 11. Live Photos store the still frame as HEIC paired with a MOV for motion.
Live Wallpaper vs Live Photo: The iPhone Difference

Live Photos and live wallpapers are related but different: a Live Photo is a camera format, while a live wallpaper is a Live Photo set as your lock screen.
Native Live Photo Format: Why It Matters for Wallpapers

A native Live Photo (.heic + .mov pair with QuickTime metadata) is the only format that sets directly as an iPhone lock screen and animates on wake.
Spatial Scenes on iPhone: What They Are and How to Set One (iOS 26)

A Spatial Scene is an iOS 26 Lock Screen wallpaper made from your own photo that shifts in 3D as you tilt the phone. Requirements, setup steps, and fixes.
What Is a Live Photo? How iPhone Live Photos Work

A Live Photo is an iPhone photo that also records 1.5 seconds before and after the shot, saved as a HEIC still plus a MOV clip. How it works and where it plays.

Lockimate animates any photo into a native Live Photo in about 2–3 minutes — no editing needed.

Try Lockimate free