The iPhone captures great video quality and it’s possible to extract a high-resolution photo from a split-second of video, but Apple doesn’t make it as easy as it should be. With slow-motion, time-lapse, and 4K resolution videos possible, recording in fine detail and immortalizing special moments is really easy. Often a particular frame of a video will be interesting enough to make a memorable picture and that is when the lack of a photo saving option becomes frustrating.

Apple tries to make the iPhone’s operating system and its built-in apps powerful and simple to use. This sometimes means features are somewhat hidden, requiring a gesture or a button combination to access, such as making thumbnails larger in the Photos library by pinching. Other times, features are just left out if they’re considered non-essential or rarely used. For whatever reason, Apple doesn’t offer a way to save a high-quality picture when paused on a video.

SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

One solution is to simply capture a screenshot and while this works, the resolution only matches the screen resolution. For an iPhone 13 Pro Max, that’s 1284 by 2778 pixels which is 3.6 megapixels, not a high-quality image, considering that a 4K video is 3840 × 2160 or 8.3 megapixels. At best, a screenshot is less than half the resolution. An iPhone SE has a one-megapixel screen, resulting in less than one-eighth the sharpness that’s possible. Thankfully, there’s an app for that, in fact, several apps. As usual, the App Store isn’t easy to search and there are plenty of apps full of advertisements or require a subscription even for this simple task. Two that are highly recommended are the free Frame Grabber and the low-cost, one-time purchase Video 2 Photo HD.

Best Apps For Turning Videos Into Photos

The Frame Grabber app is an automatic ‘yes’ for anyone that wants a quick and easy solution to extract a picture from a video. After installing the free app, select a video from the iPhone’s Photos library, pause it or drag the slider to find the right frame, then tap ‘share’ to send to social media or save as a photo. There are a few options for format and metadata, but it’s very clean and direct in getting the job done.

See also  Wahl Street vs Entourage: How Mark Wahlberg's Real Life Inspired The Show

While Video 2 Photo HD costs a few dollars, it’s a one-time purchase and a more full-featured app. What makes it unique is its ability to save multiple sequential photos from a selected portion of a video. There are also more file format options and the user can crop the photos within the app. Both apps have been updated recently, contain no ads, and don’t require a subscription, which is the way most utility apps really should work. Again, the only real option for iPhone owners that don’t want to install an app is to take a low-resolution screenshot.

Source: Frame Grabber/App Store, Video 2 Photo – HD/App Store

90 Day Fiancé: Ximena Debuts Shocking Hair Transformation After Mike Split

About The Author


Alan Truly
(1132 Articles Published)

Alan is a Tech Writer living in Nova Scotia, Canada. A tech-enthusiast since his youth, Alan stays current on what is new and what is next. With over 30 years experience in computer, video and photo equipment, you can expect useful tips and insights in his writing. Alan has a degree in programming, many years focused on design, editing, and animation. A period of managing logistics and e-commerce operations for a mobile accessories company rounds out a diverse background. Alan is a true jack of all digital trades in this ever-changing computer-enriched world. To stay flexible in mind and in body, he practices yoga, light cardio, and eats a whole food diet, based on minimally processed plants.

More From Alan Truly