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Record the full scene with a 360-degree camera, then use an editor to choose the view, perspective, and crop for each social post. Export a flat, conventional video when viewers should simply watch the clip; preserve the panoramic 360-degree file when the destination supports interactive viewing and you want viewers to look around.
What reframing does
A 360 camera captures a panoramic sphere rather than only the direction the lens appears to face. Reframing is the editing step where you select which part of that sphere a viewer sees, how wide the view is, and how it changes over time. It lets you decide on the final composition after recording, but it cannot guarantee that every moment has a useful angle: keep important action within the camera’s capture area and record some time before and after it.
Insta360’s guide to editing and reframing documents workflows in its mobile app and desktop Studio software. The steps below describe the general decisions involved; interface labels and features can vary by device, app version, and camera model.
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First decide whether the viewer should watch a fixed composition or explore the scene. This choice affects both the edit and the file you export.
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- Invisible Selfie Stick: Create impossible third-person views with no selfie stick in sight! Capture everything in 360°, then choose your angles later using AI-assisted reframing—perfect shots, every time
- InstaFrame Mode: Get a ready-to-share flat video instantly. Choose auto-framing to let the camera track you, or lock in a fixed angle. Preview the 360° video later to add in any unexpected moments, too
- FlowState Stabilization + 360° Horizon Lock: No gimbal needed. X5’s FlowState Stabilization and full 360° Horizon Lock deliver buttery-smooth, level footage, even during action-packed moments, bumps, or full rotations
| Output | What the viewer sees | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Flat, reframed video | A conventional video showing the view you selected. The viewer does not pan around the sphere. | Ordinary social playback where you want to control the composition. Insta360’s guidance recommends flat output for platforms without panoramic viewing, citing Instagram as an example; platform behavior can change. |
| 360-degree video | A panoramic view that viewers can explore if their playback platform supports it. | A destination and post designed for interactive viewing. Insta360 says display depends on platform support and documents sharing workflows for YouTube and Facebook, subject to device and media-type limitations. |
A 360 export can still be panoramic even if a phone’s standard photo viewer displays it as a flat equirectangular image rather than an interactive scene. Check the destination’s current support before choosing that format; an exported file alone does not ensure that viewers can pan around it. See Insta360’s social-media sharing instructions and its ONE X2 export and sharing tutorial for the maker’s workflow guidance.
Record footage that leaves room to reframe
- Capture the complete scene. Use a compatible 360 camera and avoid composing as if only one direction will matter. The point is to preserve options, not to assume that every view will work.
- Keep the action in the camera’s capture area. Reframing selects from what the camera recorded; it cannot recover an important subject or moment that was not captured.
- Allow time around key moments. Extra footage before and after an action gives you room to choose when the view begins moving and where it settles. This is practical editing advice, not a measured performance guarantee.
- Check the recording mode. Whether you can change aspect ratio later depends on how the clip was recorded. Insta360’s aspect-ratio support page says FreeFrame supports ratio changes for listed model-and-mode combinations, while Video or Loop Recording clips retain their original ratio on export. Confirm the exact camera and mode before recording for a particular crop.
Pick a shape for the placement
Choose the frame for the actual post or placement, not just the platform name. Insta360’s guide gives these illustrative starting points:
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- Triple AI Chip Design, Better Low Light: Shoot confidently even in challenging lighting. X5’s triple AI chip design powers advanced noise reduction and image processing, delivering crisp, vibrant footage even in dim or night conditions.
- Invisible Selfie Stick: Create impossible third-person views with no selfie stick in sight! Capture everything in 360°, then choose your angles later using AI-assisted reframing—perfect shots, every time. *Invisible Selfie Stick sold separately.
- InstaFrame Mode: Get a ready-to-share flat video instantly. Choose auto-framing to let the camera track you, or lock in a fixed angle. Preview the 360° video later to add in any unexpected moments, too.
- FlowState Stabilization + 360° Horizon Lock: No gimbal needed. X5’s FlowState Stabilization and full 360° Horizon Lock deliver buttery-smooth, level footage, even during action-packed moments, bumps, or full rotations.
- 9:16 vertical: TikTok or Instagram Stories.
- 16:9 horizontal: a standard YouTube player.
- 1:1 square: Instagram or Facebook posts.
These are examples from the manufacturer’s guide, not guarantees of current upload requirements for every placement. Check the platform’s current specifications and preview the crop before export. A wider view shows more of the surroundings; a tighter view emphasizes the subject but includes less of the captured sphere. The available guidance does not establish a universal image-quality result for different crops.
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For a flat clip, keyframes let you choose a viewing direction at selected points in time. Set a view at one moment and another later to create a change in what the flat frame shows. On mobile, Insta360 describes manual view selection, editing tools, and AI-assisted options; automated reframing should be treated as assistance, not a guarantee of perfect subject tracking.
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- Triple AI Chip Design, Better Low Light: Shoot confidently even in challenging lighting. X5’s triple AI chip design powers advanced noise reduction and image processing, delivering crisp, vibrant footage even in dim or night conditions.
- Invisible Selfie Stick: Create impossible third-person views with no selfie stick in sight! Capture everything in 360°, then choose your angles later using AI-assisted reframing—perfect shots, every time.
- InstaFrame Mode: Get a ready-to-share flat video instantly. Choose auto-framing to let the camera track you, or lock in a fixed angle. Preview the 360° video later to add in any unexpected moments, too.
- FlowState Stabilization + 360° Horizon Lock: No gimbal needed. X5’s FlowState Stabilization and full 360° Horizon Lock deliver buttery-smooth, level footage, even during action-packed moments, bumps, or full rotations.
Insta360 Studio project workflow
Insta360’s Studio instructions describe a Project page for setting an aspect ratio, adjusting orientation, and exporting. The documented project workflow requires Studio v5.6.1 or later; software support and interface details can change, so check the current instructions for your installed version.
- Open the footage in Studio and start a project.
- Choose a flat aspect ratio that suits the intended placement rather than the 2:1 panoramic project ratio.
- Use the project’s view controls and keyframes to set the desired direction at points in the clip. Insta360’s documentation describes Reorient as letting you drag the view to adjust the horizontal angle and place the subject in the center.
- Preview the movement and framing, then export the flat video using an appropriate platform-oriented preset if available.
Studio’s Project-page keyframes require a flat aspect ratio and do not affect a 360 export. A panoramic export keeps the continuous 360-degree view instead of applying the project’s selected flat view. See Insta360 Studio’s project editing and export instructions and its keyframe guidance.
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- 8K30fps 360° Video with Dual 1/1.28" Sensors: Capture stunning detail with dual 1/1.28" sensors shooting up to 8K30fps. Film epic adventures, everyday moments, and more, all in sharp, immersive 360° video with better clarity, color, and dynamic range.
- Triple AI Chip Design, Better Low Light: Shoot confidently even in challenging lighting. X5’s triple AI chip design powers advanced noise reduction and image processing, delivering crisp, vibrant footage even in dim or night conditions.
- Invisible Selfie Stick: Create impossible third-person views with no selfie stick in sight! Capture everything in 360°, then choose your angles later using AI-assisted reframing—perfect shots, every time.*Invisible Selfie Stick sold separately.
- InstaFrame Mode: Get a ready-to-share flat video instantly. Choose auto-framing to let the camera track you, or lock in a fixed angle. Preview the 360° video later to add in any unexpected moments, too.
Edit on a phone or desktop
The Insta360 mobile app and Studio desktop software both have documented reframing workflows. A phone may suit an edit intended for quick sharing; Studio offers a project workflow with aspect-ratio selection, reorientation, and export presets. Choose based on the controls you need and where you prefer to edit; the available guidance does not establish that one is categorically faster or better.
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- Use the mobile app when its available controls are sufficient for selecting views and preparing a shareable clip.
- Use Studio when you want the documented desktop project workflow and its flat-project controls.
- Check model and mode support before relying on a particular ratio change, keyframe option, or export feature.
Export and check the result
- Confirm the output type. Export a flat video for conventional playback, or a 360 video when interactive panoramic viewing is intended and supported.
- Verify the crop and destination. Review the preview at the target shape and check the platform’s current requirements for that specific placement.
- Check how the file opens. A 360 file may look flat in a standard phone gallery; test it in a viewer or platform that supports interactive playback if that experience matters.
- Confirm sharing support. Platform features and device or media-type limitations can change. Follow current instructions for the specific camera, app, and destination rather than assuming that every social feed handles 360 files the same way.
The official workflows discussed here are for supported Insta360 products; X5 is among the models listed in Studio documentation. The steps should not be read as a compatibility claim for every camera or editing suite.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- 8K30fps 360° Video with Dual 1/1.28" Sensors: Capture stunning detail with dual 1/1.28" sensors shooting up to 8K30fps. Film epic adventures, everyday moments, and more, all in sharp, immersive 360° video with better clarity, color, and dynamic range.
- Triple AI Chip Design, Better Low Light: Shoot confidently even in challenging lighting. X5’s triple AI chip design powers advanced noise reduction and image processing, delivering crisp, vibrant footage even in dim or night conditions.
- Invisible Selfie Stick: Create impossible third-person views with no selfie stick in sight! Capture everything in 360°, then choose your angles later using AI-assisted reframing—perfect shots, every time. *Invisible Selfie Stick sold separately.
- InstaFrame Mode: Get a ready-to-share flat video instantly. Choose auto-framing to let the camera track you, or lock in a fixed angle. Preview the 360° video later to add in any unexpected moments, too.
- FlowState Stabilization + 360° Horizon Lock: No gimbal needed. X5’s FlowState Stabilization and full 360° Horizon Lock deliver buttery-smooth, level footage, even during action-packed moments, bumps, or full rotations.
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