How to Add Boomerang to Instagram Story

Creating an irresistible, eye-catching loop in your Instagram Story is easier than you think. A Boomerang captures a mini-moment and turns it into a mesmerizing, endlessly watchable clip. This guide walks you through every way to add a Boomerang to your Instagram Story, from creating one live to transforming photos and videos you already have into the perfect loop.

What is an Instagram Boomerang, Anyway?

Think of a Boomerang as a mix between a photo and a video. It's essentially a one-second burst of photos stitched together and then played forward and backward in a continuous loop. The result is a short, captivating video that repeats, perfect for highlighting a quick movement or reaction.

Unlike a traditional GIF which plays a sequence on a loop, the unique charm of a Boomerang is its signature back-and-forth motion. This simple effect can turn an ordinary moment - like clinking glasses, jumping for joy, or a goofy face - into a piece of highly engaging content that stops your followers mid-scroll.

Method 1: Make a Boomerang Directly in the Instagram Story Camera

This is the most common and direct way to create a Boomerang. Everything you need is already built into the Instagram app you use every day. It's fast, intuitive, and gives you instant access to all of Instagram's creative Story tools.

Follow these simple steps:

1. Open Instagram and Access the Story Camera: Launch the Instagram app. You can get to the Story camera in two ways: either tap the plus icon (+) at the top right of your screen and select "Story," or simply swipe right from anywhere on your home feed.
2. Find the Boomerang Mode: On the left-hand side of the Story camera screen, you'll see a vertical list of icons. One of them is an infinity symbol (∞). This is the Boomerang icon. Tap it to enter Boomerang mode.
3. Record Your Boomerang: Point your camera at your subject. Think about the action you want to capture - it should be something with a clear start and end point. Press and hold the shutter button at the bottom of the screen. As you hold it, the app will capture a quick burst of photos. Release the button when your action is complete.
4. Preview and Edit: Instagram will immediately show you a preview of your Boomerang loop. If you're happy with it, you can move on. If not, tap the back arrow in the top left to discard it and try again.
5. Add Effects (Optional): Tapping the infinity symbol (∞) icon at the top of the screen will now reveal additional effects and a trimming tool. This is where you can take your Boomerang to the next level.
   • Classic: The original forward-and-backward loop.
   • SlowMo: Plays your Boomerang clip at half speed, giving it a dramatic, slow-motion feel.
   • Echo: Adds a ghostly, motion-blur effect to any moving part of your clip.
   • Duo: Creates a "glitchy" rewind effect, giving your Boomerang a retro, stylized look.
   • Trimmer: You can also use the filmstrip at the bottom to trim the start and end of your Boomerang, ensuring the loop is perfectly timed.
6. Decorate and Share: Once your Boomerang is perfect, you can add all the usual Instagram Story flair. Write text, add stickers, mention friends, use music, or draw on the screen. When you're finished, tap "Your Story" in the bottom left to post it for all your followers, or select "Close Friends" to share it with a smaller group.

Method 2: Turn a Live Photo Into a Boomerang (For iPhone Users)

Did you know those "Live Photos" you take on your iPhone are secretly perfect Boomerang material? A Live Photo captures 1.5 seconds of video and audio before and after you snap a picture. Instagram can recognize this embedded motion and convert it into a seamless loop.

Here's how to do it:

1. Take a Live Photo: Open the Camera app on your iPhone. Make sure the Live Photo icon (a series of concentric circles at the top right) is enabled (it will be yellow, not crossed out). Snap a photo of a moving subject.
2. Open the Instagram Story Camera: Back in Instagram, swipe right to open the Story camera.
3. Access Your Camera Roll: Instead of taking a photo, swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or tap the picture gallery icon in the bottom left) to access your recent photos.
4. Select Your Live Photo: Find and tap the Live Photo you want to use. You can identify Live Photos by the small infinity-like icon in the corner of the thumbnail.
5. Activate the Boomerang Effect: Once the Live Photo is on your screen, simply press and hold down on the center of the image for a second or two. You'll see the word "Boomerang" flash briefly, and a loading circle will appear. Instagram will then convert the motion from your Live Photo into a perfect Boomerang loop!
6. Edit and Share: From here, you can add effects, trim the clip, and decorate it just like any other Boomerang before sharing it to your Story.

Method 3: Convert an Existing Video from Your Gallery

You're not limited to creating Boomerangs in the moment. You can also turn a section of any video you've previously recorded into a Boomerang. This is great for repurposing old content or capturing a perfect small moment from a longer clip.

Here's the process:

1. Open the Story Camera and Go to Your Gallery: Start by swiping right to open the Story creation screen. Then, swipe up to access your phone's camera roll.
2. Select a Video: Choose the video you want to pull a clip from. Instagram will automatically preview it on the Story editor screen.
3. Trim the Video to a Short Clip: At the bottom of the editor, you'll see a timeline of your video. Drag the handles on either side to shorten the video to a very brief clip - ideally just one to three seconds. Focus on isolating a single, clear action.
4. Tap the Boomerang Icon: Once your video is trimmed, look for the infinity symbol (∞) icon in the menu at the top of the screen. Tap it.
5. Let Instagram Work Its Magic: The app will process your short clip and turn it into a looping Boomerang. If the result isn't quite right, you can tap the icon again to revert it back to a video and readjust your trim.
6. Decorate and Post: Finish up by adding text, stickers, and any other creative elements before you share your new Boomerang.

Creative Tips for Unforgettable Boomerangs

Just knowing how to make a Boomerang is half the battle. Creating one that captures attention and gets a reaction requires a little bit of creativity. Here are some pro tips to make your Boomerangs stand out.

Focus on One Clear Motion

Boomerangs work best when they feature a single, well-defined action. Avoid overly chaotic scenes with lots of things happening at once. Keep it simple and focused.

• Good Examples: Popping a champagne cork, jumping in the air, a high-five, throwing confetti, blowing a kiss, winking, or swirling a coffee cup.
• What to Avoid: Panning a camera across a crowded room or filming a long, complicated action.

Plan Your Start and End Points

Because the clip plays in reverse, the "end" of your action is just as important as the start. A Boomerang with a surprising reversal is often the most delightful. For example, moving an object away from the camera and back in creates a fun peek-a-boo effect when it's looped.

Keep the Camera Stable

Unless camera shake is part of the effect you're aiming for, try to keep your phone as still as possible. Let the action within the frame be the focus. This contrast between a steady background and a moving subject makes the loop cleaner and more effective.

Reveal Something

Use the forward motion to reveal something and the backward motion to hide it again. This could be you popping your head out from behind a corner, an object being pulled out of a box, or lifting a lid off a skillet to reveal food cooking inside.

Experiment with Trimming and Effects

Don't just stick with the default. After recording, always tap the Boomerang icon at the top of the editor. Use the trimmer to cut out any boring moments at the beginning or end of your clip. Test out the SlowMo, Echo, and Duo effects to see which one best fits the mood and action of your post. An Echo effect on a thrown object can look amazing, while a SlowMo can add drama to a hair flip.

Final Thoughts

Creating and adding a Boomerang to your Instagram Story is a simple yet powerful way to make your content more dynamic and engaging. Whether you're capturing a fun moment live in the Story camera, giving an old video a new life, or turning an iPhone Live Photo into a work of art, you have multiple ways to create a perfectly captivating loop.

Crafting great content is an important first step, but staying consistent is how you build a real presence on social media. After creating all your eye-catching Stories and Reels, the last thing you want is for them to get lost in a scheduling tool that wasn't designed for video. At Postbase, we designed our platform from the ground up for today's visual, video-first world. We make it easy to plan your content in our visual calendar and schedule posts with rock-solid reliability, so you can focus on creating more without worrying if things are publishing correctly.