Insta360 App Update Promises Better AI and Easier 360-degree Video Editing

Aug 15, 2024

A bright, illuminated circle is centered on a dark background with a purple gradient. Surrounding the circle are various smaller, dimly lit photos, primarily showcasing people engaged in outdoor activities and adventure sports like surfing, skiing, and motocross.

A huge Insta360 app update has arrived, promising smarter artificial intelligence (AI) and significantly easier 360-degree video editing.

The new Insta360 app update includes “incredible improvements,” per Insta360, including more than 40 preset movement templates to make it easier for users to edit their footage, including 360-degree footage from cameras like the Insta360 X2, X3, X4, and RS (with the 360-degree lens attached).

“Creating dynamic videos doesn’t need to be hard. If you’re not sure how to create movements between keyframes, use the new automatic templates to do it for you! Roll, pan, push and more between points in the timeline in just a few taps,” Insta360 explains.

Adding a movement is straightforward. Users tap the yellow “+” icon at the desired start point, adjust the perspective of their footage, tap “Movement,” and then select the desired template. They can also adjust the movement speed and perspective of the endpoint they want to edit.

With the improved AI features, the app can identify objects and subjects in footage and even analyze their interaction.

Combined with scene recognition, the app automatically filters the best shots for users to select and export. Of course, the user can override these recommendations and export the clips of their choice, too. Insta360 explains that the app’s ability to recognize people and objects and how they interact allows it to select the most meaningful content.

The app also includes AI-powered automatic reframing, helping users quickly edit and export videos focused on the subject. An enormous appeal of 360-degree video is the ability to reframe and crop after the fact, knowing that everything was captured. However, manually editing the video can be time-consuming and challenging for less experienced users.

A person in a black and pink ski outfit makes a controlled turn down a snowy slope under a clear blue sky. Ski lifts and snow-covered mountains are visible in the background. The word "PEOPLE" is prominently displayed in the sky area.

Many movement templates also rely on AI-powered subject and scene recognition. For example, one transition, People Swap, dynamically switches between multiple people in 360-degree footage with flashy camera effects. Another, Freeze Go, determines the precise moment of the most exciting action in a clip to pause the video at the most dramatic moment, like when a skier performs a flip in the air.

The updated Insta360 app is available today, bringing it to version 1.69.0.

Image credits: Insta360