Instagram Launches Boomerang For 1-Second Back-And-Forth Gifs

The trend continues of social networks releasing secondary apps that turn into social media hubs of their own, kinda like band members with side projects that take off. Twitter has Vine, and now Instagram has Boomerang. The similarities to Vine don't end there either: Boomerang is about creating one-second videos that loop back-and-forth repeatedly, while Vine focuses on six-second clips with sound. Boomerang is available today on both iOS and Android.

Instagram's blog post announcing the Boomerang app starts off by saying "It's not a photo. It's not a gif. It's a Boomerang." Realistically, though, it is a gif, as the clips are created with five rapid-burst photos, and feature no sound. These photos then play in sequence and then in reverse, over and over.

Boomerang does differ from other social media apps in that it's not actually a stand-alone social network. There's no feed, no need to sing in, and it doesn't even require an Instagram account. Boomerangs can be saved to the device's camera roll, or easily shared on Instagram (obviously) or Facebook.

The app is drop-dead simple to use too, as all users have to do is press the shutter button to capture the burst of photos, either in landscape or portrait. The images are automatically stitched together and the video clip created.

SOURCE Instagram [App Store / Google Play]