Instagram today launched a new standalone video app called Hyperlapse, which is designed to allow users to capture high-quality time lapse videos enhanced with built-in stabilization features. According to the app's description, the image stabilization allows users to create "polished" time lapse videos that would normally only be possible with the use of a tripod.

In an interview with Wired, Instagram reveals that its image stabilization feature uses the iPhone's gyroscope to measure the camera's movement, which allows video to be stabilized with a simple algorithm.

Hyperlapse mimics the time lapse feature introduced with iOS 8, but it includes customization features not found in Apple's own time lapse capabilities. Along with image stabilization, the app also lets users choose a playback speed, from 1X to 12X, and it can capture short bursts of video or shoot all day long.

hyperlapse

When you shoot a time lapse video with Hyperlapse, your footage will be instantly stabilized to smooth out the bumps from the road and give it a cinematic feeling. Capture an entire sunrise in 10 seconds--even from the back of a moving motorcycle. Walk through the crowds at an all-day music festival, then distill it into a 30 second spot. Capture your bumpy trail run and share your 5k in 5 seconds.

Though created by Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, Hyperlapse does not require an account to log in and it features a simple interface with one-tap video capturing capabilities. It also includes sharing tools to let users share time lapse videos to both Instagram and Facebook, but videos can also be saved to the camera roll.


Hyperlapse can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

DipDog3 Avatar
147 months ago
According to the Wired article, Hyperlapse is not currently possible on Android because it lacks the proper APIs.

I always thought Google was years ahead of iOS in the features department. Guess I was wrong.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
heimo Avatar
147 months ago

Take the take-off in the promo for example. We’re looking at at least 3-5 mins

Holy crap! Talk about a serious commitment. I don't know anyone in this internet era that could do anything for such a prolonged time. 3-5 minutes! I could understand 3-5 seconds.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
prehnra Avatar
147 months ago
Same name as that Microsoft thing?

Microsoft also has a thing called Hyperlapse: http://www.engadget.com/2014/08/11/microsofts-found-a-way-to-banish-gopro-shakycam-footage/

These don't seem to be related (except that both are image/video processing processes) and I can't see those two companies working together.

Did they not google the name first?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LordBeelzebub Avatar
147 months ago
This is not really time lapse in the traditional since where you take still photos from the same angle multiple times or a period of time then put those photos in a slideshow/video format. All this app does is record video then fast motion it to simulate time lapse.

My only issue is it has a misleading description and it doesn't actually do what they have you believe.

However this capability does have benefits, it's good for recording Vine videos.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
morespce54 Avatar
147 months ago
[...]Take the take-off in the promo for example. We’re looking at at least 3-5 mins of filming!

My arm gets tired and wants to drop off way before that. [...]
True. Actually, a time lapse "video" is better with a fixed camera taking a few pictures each hour... for days. Like when you want to show/see a growing plant or melting snow. Otherwise, as mentioned above, it's pretty much a few minutes of video on fast-forward!

[...]the app [...] can capture short bursts of video or shoot all day long.[...]
[...]videos can also be saved to the camera roll.
"all this on your 16Gb iPhone" ;)
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Arran Avatar
147 months ago
Nice technique when used sparingly. Guess we're going to see it everywhere now.

Oh well.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 18 Pro Leak Adds New Evidence for Under-Display Face ID

Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker. According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds Second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found. Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
Johny Srouji

Apple's Chipmaking Chief Johny Srouji Responds to Report About Him Potentially Leaving

Monday December 8, 2025 9:23 am PST by
Apple's chipmaking chief Johny Srouji has reportedly indicated that he plans to continue working for the company for the foreseeable future. "I love my team, and I love my job at Apple, and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon," said Srouji, in a memo obtained by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Here is Srouji's full memo, as shared by Bloomberg:I know you've been reading all kind of rumors and...
Johny Srouji

Apple Chip Chief Johny Srouji Could Be Next to Go as Exodus Continues

Sunday December 7, 2025 10:41 am PST by
Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies Johny Srouji could be the next leading executive to leave the company amid an alarming exodus of leading employees, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Srouji apparently recently told CEO Tim Cook that he is "seriously considering leaving" in the near future. He intends to join another company if he departs. Srouji leads Apple's chip design ...
google pixel 10

Switching Between iPhone and Android Will Get Easier With New Apple and Google Collaboration

Monday December 8, 2025 11:10 am PST by
Apple and Google are teaming up to make it easier for users to switch between iPhone and Android smartphones, according to 9to5Google. There is a new Android Canary build available today that simplifies data transfer between two smartphones, and Apple is going to implement the functionality in an upcoming iOS 26 beta. Apple already has a Move to iOS app for transferring data from an Android...
Apple Fitness Plus expansion hero

Apple Fitness+ Coming to 28 New Regions With Digital Voice Dubbing

Monday December 8, 2025 6:19 am PST by
Apple today announced that Fitness+ is expanding to 28 new markets on December 15 in the service's largest international rollout since launch, accompanied by new language dubbing and a K-Pop music genre. Apple Fitness+ will become available in Chile, Hong Kong, India, the Netherlands, Singapore, Taiwan, and additional regions on December 15, with Japan scheduled to follow early next year....
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...