Life
How To Use GIFs In Insta Stories Without Boomerang
Instagram Stories keep getting more colorful — literally. A few months ago, Instagram announced a bunch of forthcoming features specific to the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. The one that got the most attention was more vivid color capture, but I was most excited by the ability to post GIFs to Instagram Stories without Boomerang — by turning Apple Live photos into Boomerang videos.
Here's how it works. If you have an iPhone 7, you can convert Apple Live photos to back-and-forth Boomerang videos before you upload them to your Instagram Story. If you're new to the iPhone — or your grasp of technology is tenuous at best (no judgment)— Apple Live photos capture a few moments before and after you take a photo. When you swipe through your camera roll later, Apple Live photos briefly animate, kind of like a cross between a GIF and a short video.
In September, Instagram announced that iPhone 7 users would eventually be able to convert Apple Live photos directly to Boomerangs, but it's been slow to roll out. On Thursday, though, Instagram cofounder Mike Krieger tweeted that the new iPhone 7 features, including Apple Live photo conversion, had been rolled out to "almost everyone."
So how do you use this new feature? Here's your step-by-step guide to converting Apple Live photos to Boomerangs for all your GIF-ing needs.
1Open Instagram Stories
Normally, I would begin by saying you should update your app, but according to Krieger, that's not necessary. (If you're having trouble, though, it certainly can't hurt.) Instead, the first step is to open Instagram Stories. From your Instagram feed, swipe to the right; this brings you to the Story camera screen.
2Swipe Up
Next, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to access your camera roll. This will pull up photos taken in the last 24 hours.
3Select An Apple Live Photo
Select the Apple Live photo you want to share. Here comes the important part: On the preview page, press hard on the screen. (3D touch is pressure-sensitive.) It might take a few moments, but this will convert the photo to a Boomerang.
Once that's done, hit the arrow button and share your shiny new GIF to the world. Happy 'gramming!
This post has been updated with further information from Instagram.
