How to take a time-lapse video on an iPhone and condense lengthy footage into a short, sped-up clip

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How to take a time-lapse video on an iPhone and condense lengthy footage into a short, sped-up clip
You can take a time-lapse video easily on an iPhone using the Camera app.d3sign/Getty Images
  • You can take a time-lapse video on an iPhone using a feature that Apple incorporated into its built-in Camera app in 2014 with iOS 8.
  • With the Camera app’s time-lapse setting, you can transform lengthy footage into a short, sped-up video.
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One of the coolest aspects of the iPhone camera is the creativity you can unleash in your photo- and video-taking.

And while you may already know how to impress your friends with your artistic and polished Portrait mode shots, you can also create equally impressive videos using the iPhone camera's time-lapse feature, which is available on phones running iOS 8 and higher.

Next time you want to capture and condense a beautiful sunset, or make a quirky stop-motion style video, here's what you need to know to get started using time-lapse mode on your iPhone.

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How to use time-lapse mode on iPhone

1. Launch your iPhone's Camera app. Swipe to the furthest left side camera mode at the bottom menu of the screen to reach and select "time-lapse."

2. Tap the red circle to begin recording. You do not have to hold the button down to record.

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How to take a time-lapse video on an iPhone and condense lengthy footage into a short, sped-up clip
Tap the red record button to start your video. You can always edit out portions of the video later.Emma Witman/Business Insider

3. When you are done recording your video, tap the icon again, which will appear as a red square while recording.

How to modify the playback speed of your time-lapse video using a third-party app

The simplicity of the iPhone's time-lapse feature can be nice for some, but stifling for others — for instance, you cannot change the playback speed of a time-lapse video. You can still make cosmetic edits to your time-lapse videos, though.

How to take a time-lapse video on an iPhone and condense lengthy footage into a short, sped-up clip
Although the time-lapse playback frame rate can't be changed, you can make the same traditional cosmetic effects that you're able to with your other iPhone-captured videos and images.Emma Witman/Business Insider

You can, however, download a free app like Hyperlapse from Instagram for more advanced modifications to your time-lapse videos, including the frame rate.

The app is also handy for stabilizing your video, if you don't have a tripod handy for more professional-looking, steady footage.

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