Instagram can easily be said to be the most popular social media app for Millennials and Generation Z. Everyone is on Instagram be they celebrities, influencers, classmates, or businesses. What set Instagram aside from the beginning is how visually focused the platform is with stories being mainly in picture or video format.
As cameras on mobile devices have moved on so has the technology immediately available at the click of your fingers. In addition to fun selfie filters, Instagram now offers a Zoom In/Our feature while recording an Instagram story. This can add a lot of drama and intrigue to your stories and result in more views – which we all know, in this day and age, is higher status especially if you are a social media influencer or better sales if you’re a business.
We will discuss the four default modes you can use to take Insta videos and how to use the Zoom feature in them. In the end we will advise on how to use Zoom in the hands-free feature (spoiler: It’s super easy!).
Zooming While Recording Your Instagram Stories
There are several modes you can choose once you’ve opened your story capture screen. These are located under your shutter button (camera button). And you can swipe the bar right and left to choose the right one for the moment. Centre the mode you want to use under the shutter icon. Some of the most popular modes are normal, reverse, boomerang, and superzoom.
The process for zooming is identical for normal, reverse, and boomerang:
- Press and hold the shutter icon
- Swipe your finger up (to zoom in) or down (to zoom out) on the screen
- Only let go of the shutter icon when you want to stop recording.
Superzoom mode simplifies this even further, as the feature includes an automatic zoom in on your subject, and then superimposes the effect you have chosen onto the video. The Effects Bar appears in the top right corner and includes hearts, stars, and many more fun items.
For an extra funny story, you can add a selfie filter and use the zoom feature! Who doesn’t want to see your cute kitty nose close-up, right?
Zooming in Hands-Free Mode
If you want your video to start zoomed in on an item set your zoom before pressing the shutter icon. Pinch the screen and centre around the object you want to film, then start recording.
However, if you want to start in a wider Zoom then Zoom in, start your recording as normal. Then at the point you want to Zoom in, press and hold the shutter icon while swiping your finger as described above.
