GLMPS Brings Harry Potter-esque Moving Photos to the iPhone - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

GLMPS Brings Harry Potter-esque Moving Photos to the iPhone

by

logo right middleThere is no shortage of choice when it comes to photography apps for the iPhone. One of the most popular, Instagram, just recorded its 150 millionth photo. As a result, developers need to produce something special to differentiate their apps from the competition.

GLMPS (pronounced "glimpse") is a free iPhone photography app, with a twist. Traditional photo apps take a picture when the 'capture' button is pressed. GLMPS is different. When launched, the app continually records video so that when a photo is taken, GLMPS automatically saves the five seconds of video proceeding it.


Co-founder Nick Long told All Things Digital that the original idea was to capture short looped videos, similar to the way photographs work in the Harry Potter universe. Click the thumbnail in the bottom right corner of the above image to see how it works.

Because the app is constantly grabbing video, and gets the final image from that stream, the photographs are not nearly as high quality as using more traditional photography apps. The final snap is added to the users camera roll, but the only way to share the GLMPSes is via the GLMPS.com website. That site is slightly limited too, with no 'private' option, so users should keep that in mind when uploading potentially embarrassing pictures.

The team behind GLMPS notes that it is a work in progress, and there are lots of features they plan on bringing to the app. GLMPS launched today, free on the App store.

Top Rated Comments

197 months ago
^^ nerd alert ^^
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
197 months ago
Strong contender for Stupidest Thing of the Week.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jlgolson Avatar
197 months ago
Except that anyone who watched the movies or read the books knows that the photos in harry potter resemble real living people, and can in fact think for themselves. This isn't anything like that.
That's true of the paintings, but not of the photographs.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
197 months ago
So what? It's called a video. It's different when it's in a picture frame or a newspaper, but a phone? Big whup. My phone can do that without this app. Derp.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Surely Avatar
197 months ago
This is lame!! I thought it did something like Cinemagraphs. Now THAT would be something.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1380795/Cinemagraphs-Artists-develop-pictures-movement-stills-level.html

Exactly. I was expecting the app to be able to somehow do that.

This app just takes 5 second video clips. It's the future today!:rolleyes:
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BaldiMac Avatar
197 months ago
I'm not sure that requiring Flash on your homepage is the best way to market to iOS users. ;)
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 27 Next to iPhone

Here's When iOS 27 Rolls Out Today in Every Time Zone [Update: It's Out]

Sunday September 13, 2026 3:00 am PDT by
Update 10:04 a.m.: iOS 27 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking! Apple is about to release iOS 27, which will finally deliver more advanced Siri AI capabilities as well as a variety of other refinements, improvements, and new features to iPhones. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at Wednesday's iPhone event...
iOS 27 Icon iPhone

iOS 27 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday September 14, 2026 9:00 am PDT by
Update — 10 a.m. Pacific Time: Apple has released iOS 27. During its iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo event last week, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released widely on Monday, September 14. iOS 27 should be available around 10 a.m. Pacific Time / 1 p.m. Eastern Time today via the Settings app, under General → Software Update. Below, we have highlighted eight new features and...
Apple iCloud Plus expansion hero

iCloud+ Now Includes Apple TV, Apple Arcade, and Curated Apple Music Stations in Over 100 Countries

Tuesday September 15, 2026 1:43 am PDT by
Apple today announced a new subscription initiative that turns paid iCloud+ subscriptions into a broader services bundle in more than 100 countries. In select countries, Apple says every paid iCloud+ plan, including the cheapest 50GB tier, now includes Apple TV and Apple Arcade "at no additional cost," while family sharing extends the storage, TV and Arcade access to up to five people....