Make an AI Tiny Desk Video on iPhone or Android

Open the AI Tiny Desk generator in your browser and choose Add lead singer photo. Select the intended image through your phone's file picker, then check its preview. If the file is accepted and looks right, continue without converting it again.

The preset is a 19-second, 480p video with a 9:16 portrait setting, costing 20 credits. You do not need a prompt, a reference-video upload or a separate editing app. Keep your original photos on the device while preparing the cast. The generation walkthrough covers the shared steps; the instructions below address phone-specific file preparation and downloads.

If the chosen file is rejected as HEIC, export a supported copy. On iOS 26, Apple's Preview app can open an image file and export it as JPEG. These are Apple's documented controls; their appearance can differ on other iOS versions.

1. If the photo is only in Photos, open it, tap Share and use Save to Files to put a copy in a location you can find. Apple documents this export action in its Share → Save to Files step; keep the original photo.
2. Open Preview, tap Browse and select that image file. See Apple's Preview browsing instructions.
3. Tap the menu beside the filename, choose Export, then JPEG. Adjust the file-size slider if needed. Apple's Preview export instructions describe these choices.
4. Return to the generator and select the exported JPEG, checking that it is within 10 MB and the face is still clear.

Choose an image format rather than PDF. Renaming a .heic file to .jpg does not convert it. If your iPhone does not have these Preview controls, Apple's HEIF guidance also describes exporting JPEG or PNG using Photos or Preview on a Mac.

For future pictures, Apple documents Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible as the option for capturing new photos in JPEG. That setting does not turn the existing HEIC files in your library into JPEGs. Use an export step for the photo you already have. See Apple's HEIF and HEVC explanation.

The sharing menu has a separate format choice: Photos → Share → Options → Most Compatible. Apple says shared files may convert to JPEG or MOV, so check the resulting file rather than assuming every sharing destination converts it. The official sharing instructions distinguish this from keeping the current format.

If your Android photo is already JPG, PNG or WebP and within the limit, choose it directly. For a distracting background or a group picture, make a crop before uploading. In Google Photos, open the photo, choose Edit, then Crop, and adjust the edges around the person. Choose Save as copy when available to preserve the original. Google describes this in its photo-editing instructions.

Menu locations vary by device and app version. Cropping is not a guaranteed format conversion, so check the saved file if it is still rejected. You do not need an AI background replacement or a collage: the input should make the intended person's face easy to identify.

AI Tiny Desk assigns one uploaded image to each selected role. A group photo does not automatically fill every slot. Prepare a separate crop for each friend, then put each crop into the intended lead, keyboard, saxophone or backing-singer slot. Preserve the full face and some space around the head; use a better source photo if the faces are too small.

On iPhone, you can make a copy with Photos → More → Duplicate before editing. Apple explains duplicating a photo and cropping in Photos. Only the lead is required. Optional roles left empty keep the reference performers. Use pictures of adults who agreed to participate; the photo guide covers selection in more detail.

Review the photo previews before continuing with Google. Stay in the same browser so the prepared cast can transfer through sign-in. Check the generation availability message, 20-credit cost and your balance. If you need credits, use checkout when available, then return and choose the generation action; purchasing credits does not submit a video automatically.

Keep the page open through upload and submission. After a task is accepted, follow its progress or return to My videos with the same Google account. If a connection error leaves submission uncertain, check that existing task before trying again. An unfinished local cast is not a promise of cross-device sync. Use the troubleshooting guide if you are unsure which state you reached.

Play your completed result with sound, review the faces and framing, then use its download control. AI results can vary; inspect the actual file you intend to share.

On iPhone: check Files → Browse → iCloud Drive → Downloads, or open Safari's Downloads button. The location can depend on your download settings. A browser download does not necessarily appear in Photos. These locations follow Apple's download instructions.

On Android: check Chrome → More → Downloads, or your device's Files app. With a bottom address bar, Chrome's instructions say to swipe up to find Downloads. You can share a downloaded file from that list. See Google's Android download help.

To post outside AI Tiny Desk, upload your saved MP4 rather than copying a private account-video URL. For playback, private links and posting considerations, use the download and sharing guide.