How to Upload Live Photos to iCloud from Windows

1. Prepare the complete Live Photo

To upload a Live Photo from a Windows PC, you need its original image and the original companion MOV. A still image and an unrelated video are not a valid pair, even if you give them the same filename.

Keep the files together in the same folder. A typical pair looks like IMG_2048.HEIC and IMG_2048.MOV; some exports use a companion name ending in _HEVC.MOV. PhotoKeeper checks the embedded Live Photo identifiers and timing information as well as finding the related files.

• Use the original image and MOV, not a smaller preview or a video prepared only for playback.
• If your export is a .pvt package, keep its contents intact. PhotoKeeper can inspect the package and use its original photo and video.
• Avoid editing or replacing either component before upload. If the pair is incomplete, recover the missing original from the source library.

If the originals are still in iCloud, follow the Live Photo download guide first. For a transfer directly between two accounts, the account migration workflow can retrieve missing originals for you.

2. Connect the destination iCloud account

Open PhotoKeeper on Windows and sign in to the Apple Account that should receive the photos. Complete any verification prompts. Use a supported Windows 11 x64 PC and a current version with the Upload photos feature; see the system requirements.

The destination account needs an active PhotoKeeper trial or license for uploads, a valid iCloud session, and enough available iCloud storage for the incoming media. A PhotoKeeper license does not provide additional iCloud storage.

Click Upload photos at the top right. Check the account shown under Destination iCloud before adding your files, especially if you use more than one account.

3. Add the files and review the pairing

Choose Add files to select the original image and MOV, use Choose folder, or drag the files or folder into the upload window. Folder selection includes supported media in its subfolders, so review the resulting selection rather than assuming it contains only the items visible in the top folder.

Wait for PhotoKeeper to finish finding media, matching Live Photos, and checking the originals. A valid image and companion MOV appear as one Live Photo item, not two separate uploads. The paired count helps you check that the motion was recognized.

Review the previews and any items marked as needing attention. Remove unrelated files from the selection. For a first upload, use a few known Live Photos so you can check the result on your iPhone before sending a large collection.

Only ready items will upload. A paired count of zero when you expected Live Photos is a reason to inspect the originals before continuing, not a reason to ignore the warning.

4. Upload and wait for verification

Select Start upload. PhotoKeeper uploads the original components and verifies the result before marking an item complete. It preserves the bytes of the original files, including the motion recording and any audio they contain; cloud previews are generated separately.

You can choose Continue in background or close the upload window and follow progress from the top-right entry. Keep PhotoKeeper itself running, the PC awake, and the source drive connected. Closing the application interrupts the work.

If a task needs attention, reopen it from the upload entry or Recent tasks. Resolve the reported issue, then use Retry remaining items. If Apple requests renewed upload authorization, complete the sign-in prompt for the displayed destination account.

Completed PhotoKeeper uploads are checked and skipped for the same destination. Photos previously added through other apps may still become new copies; this is not a universal duplicate-removal tool.

5. Check the Live Photo on your iPhone

Use a device connected to the destination Apple Account with iCloud Photos enabled. Allow the library to finish syncing, then open a known uploaded item in Photos and press and hold it to play the motion. Check the sound too if the original recording contains audio. See Apple’s Live Photo playback instructions.

A completed upload and a finished device sync are different milestones. If the item is not visible yet, check the account and library sync status before uploading another copy. Apple’s iCloud Photos sync troubleshooting guide explains how to inspect paused syncing and storage issues.

Keep your local originals after the upload. Preserving the original media does not promise to recreate every previous Photos edit or effect.

If the upload does not recognize a Live Photo

The companion MOV is missing.

Retrieve the original motion file. An image by itself cannot restore the original motion or audio.

There are multiple candidates or the identifiers do not match.

Return to the original export and keep the correct pair together. Renaming an unrelated video does not repair its embedded pairing information.

Only the MOV was selected.

Add its original still image. A video identified as a Live Photo component needs the other half of the pair.

The pair has unsupported timing or another validation error.

Keep the originals unchanged and review the specific error. If it remains unresolved, contact PhotoKeeper support with the error message. Do not replace the original MOV with a playback proxy.