Yes, you can Boomerang a video on Snapchat. Boomerang is a popular Snapchat feature that allows you to take mini videos that play forward and backward in a loop, creating a boomerang effect. Here’s a quick rundown of how to use Boomerang on Snapchat:
What is Boomerang on Snapchat?
Boomerang is a camera mode within Snapchat that captures a burst of photos and stitches them together into a high-quality mini video that plays forward and backward. The loop creates a fun, engaging boomerang effect.
When you take a Boomerang, it captures up to 10 photos in a second to create a captivating mini video that is 1-2 seconds long. The video then seamlessly plays forward and backward, forward and backward in a loop.
Snapchat introduced Boomerang into its app in 2015. Since then, Boomerang videos have become hugely popular on the platform and are commonly used to showcase mini moments, highlight fun activities, and add a dynamic visual element to Snaps.
How to make a Boomerang video on Snapchat
Taking a Boomerang video with Snapchat is easy and only takes a few steps:
- Open the Snapchat app on your iPhone or Android.
- Swipe right on your Snapchat camera screen to open the camera modes
- Select the Boomerang mode. The icon looks like a Boomerang curved in the shape of an infinity symbol.
- Hold down the capture button to take your Boomerang. A progress indicator will let you know it’s recording.
- Release the capture button when you want to end your Boomerang. The optimal length is around 1-2 seconds.
- Press the checkmark button to save your Boomerang to your camera roll and exit back to the main Snapchat screen.
- Go to your camera roll to view your new Boomerang video and save a copy if you want.
- Go back to Snapchat to edit your Boomerang with captions, stickers, filters etc. and share it with friends!
The Boomerang icon is located between the regular Photo mode and Slow Motion mode when you swipe to change modes. It’s easy to find.
When recording your Boomerang, hold the phone steadily in one position. Any shakes or movement may cause the Boomerang to look warped or distorted when it loops.
Get creative and take Boomerangs of yourself, your friends, pets, activities, food, nature, and anything else that would look cool in mini video format!
Editing Boomerang videos on Snapchat
After taking your Boomerang video, you can edit it with text, stickers, drawings, filters and more within Snapchat before sending or saving:
- Add captions – Tap the ‘T’ icon to add text captions to your Boomerang. Get creative with typography and formatting.
- Apply filters – Swipe through the filters at the bottom of the screen to add color effects. Try the latest trending Snapchat filters.
- Add stickers – Tap the sticker icon to browse Snapchat’s huge sticker collection. Pick fun ones to match your Boomerang’s vibe.
- Draw or doodle – Use the drawing and coloring tools to add your own artistic touches.
- Crop the length – Trim off any excess length from the start or end.
- Send to friends – Select contacts to share your creation or add it to your Story.
- Save a copy – Download it to your camera roll to upload elsewhere or keep forever.
Get creative with your edits to make your Boomerang stand out! Adding well-timed captions and fun stickers takes it to the next level.
Sharing Boomerang videos on Snapchat
There are a couple ways to share your finished Boomerang videos on Snapchat:
Send to Friends
After editing your Boomerang, tap the send arrow on the bottom right and select contacts to send it to directly. Or add it to your current Snapstreaks.
Post to Snapchat Story
Tap the arrow at the bottom to save it to your Snapchat Story. All your friends will be able to view it for 24 hours. You can also post it to Our Story for everyone to see.
Save to Camera Roll
Press and hold on the preview screen to save a copy of your Boomerang video to your phone’s camera roll. You can then upload it other social media apps.
Tips for taking great Boomerang videos
Here are some pro tips and ideas to capture awesome Boomerangs on Snapchat that you and your friends will love:
- Get up close – Boomerangs look best when shot close-up and tightly framed.
- Use bright natural light – This avoids graininess or blurriness in the final video.
- Hold the camera steady – Try stabilizing your hands against a wall for the smoothest capture.
- Capture fast motions – Boomerangs are perfect for high energy activities and subjects in motion.
- Have fun with poses – Switch up your poses and facial expressions throughout the Boomerang.
- Play with perspective – Try shooting top down, from ground level, or holding the camera upside down.
- Add interest to landscapes – Swaying trees, fountains, or windy grass can make cool backdrops.
- Show off your style – Outfit changes, saucy make-up looks, and trendy accessories display well.
- Highlight food and drinks – Capture tasty dishes, fancy cocktails, and Instagrammable snacks.
- Be spontaneous and playful – Dance moves, jumping shots, and having fun make the best Boomerangs!
Creative ways to use Boomerang
Boomerang on Snapchat opens up tons of possibilities to capture captivating snippets of life’s best moments. Get inspired with these creative ways to utilize it:
- Chronicle your travels – Record Boomerangs of new sights and destinations.
- Show off your OOTD – Model your #OutfitOfTheDay fashion looks.
- Spotlight your pet – Cats and dogs doing cute things make excellent Boomerangs.
- Toast cocktails with friends – Cheers to the weekend! Capture your crew toasting drinks.
- Show your skills – Whether golfing, skate tricks, or dance moves, flaunt your talents.
- Display DIY projects – Document you progress doing crafts, baking, or art.
- Highlight gadgets – Show off new tech gizmos, video games or other electronics in action.
- Add fun to birthdays – Get a Boomerang of the birthday boy or girl blowing out candles.
- Capture weather – Rainstorms, sunsets, snowfall, and more look mesmerizing in this quick video format.
- Show off your ride – Give a virtual test drive of your sweet new car.
Let your creativity run wild! Boomerang mode is perfect for short spurts of action that loop hypnotically. The possibilities are endless.
Funny Boomerang ideas
Boomerangs really shine when you use them for humor and hijinks. Try out these funny ideas for Boomerangs that will give your friends a good laugh:
- Funny faces – Contort your face into silly or freaky expressions as the Boomerang plays.
- Costume changes – Quickly switch funny hats, masks or outfits mid-Boomerang.
- Wacky dances – Show off your craziest dance moves for a funny dance clip.
- Pranks – Capture your friend’s reaction to getting pranked for all to see.
- Pet bloopers – Dogs or cats doing hilarious things are instant comedy gold.
- Fun with food – Shove a giant burger in your mouth or get hit by a pie.
- Magic tricks – Perform mini magic or card tricks in real time.
- Physical stunts – Jump into a pool, epic trampoline flip, or trust fall with friends.
- Fun with props – Juggle or eat something funny like balloons, toys, or giant candy.
- Make a meme – Recreate a viral meme or make up your own!
When in doubt, adding goofy humor into your Boomerangs is a surefire way to delight your friends. So get silly, weird and fun with it!
Common problems taking Boomerang videos
While Boomerang can produce amazing effects, you may also run into a few issues while trying to capture them. Here are some common Boomerang problems and how to avoid them:
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| Blurry footage | Ensure camera lens is clean, hold camera steady, and film in bright light. |
| Warped shapes | Don’t move camera during filming as it can distort shapes. |
| Badly timed looping | Make sure subject is fully in frame before pressing record. |
| Grainy or dark video | Film using bright natural light, not low light. |
| Unwanted camera movement | Stabilize camera against a wall or use a tripod. |
| Choppy playback | Keep Boomerang videos short at 1-2 seconds long. |
| Wrong aspect ratio | Select widescreen 16:9 ratio mode in Snapchat settings. |
| Battery drains quickly | Close extra apps and use Battery Saver mode. |
Troubleshooting your capture method and environment can help you avoid common Boomerang mishaps. Taking test shots and watching the playback will let you identify and fix any issues before recording your final version.
Boomerang vs. GIFs
Boomerang and GIFs are both short, looping visual content. But here are some key differences between the two formats:
Length
Boomerangs are limited to 1-2 seconds in length whereas GIFs can be any length, typically under 15 seconds.
File size
Boomerang videos are captured in high quality MP4 video files while GIFs are compressed to be very small file sizes.
Visual quality
Boomerangs retain better visual clarity as MP4 videos whereas GIFs have lower image quality due to compression.
Creation
Boomerangs are directly created within the Snapchat app. GIFs are made by converting and compiling separate image or video files.
Sharing
Boomerangs live inside Snapchat while GIFs are standalone files you can upload anywhere.
In summary, Boomerangs offer short bursts of high quality video optimized for the Snapchat platform. GIFs allow more length and customization but have lower visual fidelity.
Conclusion
Boomerang is an incredibly fun and popular Snapchat feature that adds engaging motion and personality to your Snaps. Now you know how to easily capture cool Boomerangs, get creative with edits and sharing, and avoid common mistakes. With some practice, you’ll be a pro at using Boomerang to make captivating mini masterpieces to dazzle your friends in Snapchat!