While mini-movie making app Vine has become extremely popular, Twitter has added a new update to its video-sharing app that makes it more user friendly, according to PCMag.com.
The new version 1.1 update, which debuted on Tuesday, allows users to shoot with the front-facing camera, an attribute that many new smartphones possess. This will now make it easier for anyone smartphone user who wants to take video of themselves—or “selfies” which is the term used for taking a photo or video of one’s self—and watch themselves as they record.
When posting to Twitter, a user has to touch the button located at the bottom of the screen to bring up the front-facing camera. The update allows you to toggle back and forth between the front-facing camera and the rear-facing camera as many times as the user desires while making the video. Vine videos only last about six seconds.
Another addition that comes with the new update is the ability to add mentions once you’ve recorded the video. For example, if you want to tag someone that was in your latest movie or if you simply want one of your followers to see the video, you can mention them like you would in a standard tweet. Type @ and then select their username. They will get a notification much like they would in a normal mention.
After Twitter acquired Vine in October, it launched the app in late January.
"Posts on Vine are about abbreviation — the shortened form of something larger," Vine co-founder Dom Hofmann said in a blog post in January. "They're little windows into the people, settings, ideas and objects that make up your life. They're quirky, and we think that's part of what makes them so special."
"Like Tweets, the brevity of videos on Vine (6 seconds or less) inspires creativity," Michael Sippey, Twitter's vice president of product said in the same blog post. "Now that you can easily capture motion and sound, we look forward to seeing what you create."
Currently Vine is only available for iOS users, but might be coming to Android devices soon. Last month Twitter updated the app to allow videos to be embedded throughout the Internet.