How to Slow Down Timelapse Videos: Step-by-Step Guide

Time-lapse videos turn hours of footage into super-short videos. They let you experience excruciatingly slow processes in new ways, be it blooming flowers, rotation of the earth, movement of clouds, or the like. Sometimes, these time lapse videos can become very fast, and you'd want to slow them down. Doing so can add more depth and detail to your time lapse. But that's easier said than done. You must slow down time-lapses without losing the video quality and visual impact. Fret not; we've created this guide for this very purpose-to give you step-by-step instructions on how to slow down time lapses easily while preserving their video quality.

Part 1: How to Slow Down Time Lapse Video on Desktop

HitPaw Univd (HitPaw Video Converter) is a powerful media editor with advanced features like playback speed control. You can increase or reduce the playback speed of your time lapse with HitPaw Univd easily at the click of a few buttons. Univd excels at handling time lapse videos and editing them without quality loss. It's a powerful but user-friendly tool suited for everyone, from beginners to experts looking for a high-productivity media editing tool. HitPaw Univd is routinely used by content creators and professionals to edit large volumes of videos, including time-lapses, at scale.

Guide to Slow Down Time Lapse Videos

Step 1: Go to Editor Mode

Launch HitPaw Univd >> Go to the 'Editor' tab >> Click 'Speed'>> Drag and drop the videos directly into the tool or use the 'Add Files' button to import videos.

Step 2: Go to Speed Settings

Click an editing option beside the imported video, such as Split, Crop, Watermark, etc. >> In the pop-up window, go to the 'Speed' tab.

Step 3: Slow Down Time Lapse Video

The playback speed presets allow you to change the playback speed anywhere between 0.25x and 4x. Since we're slowing down the time lapse video, you can choose 0.25x or 0.5x.

Step 4: Export Edited Video

Preview the edited timelapse video >> Click 'Confirm' >> Hit 'Export' or 'Export All'.

Part 2: How to Slow Down Time Lapse Video on iPhone/iPad

While you can use several third-party iOS apps like Adobe Premiere Rush to edit the speed of your timelapse video, the native iMovie app can perfectly handle this task. As an iPhone or iPad user, you're already likely familiar with iMovie, so it will be a breeze to use it for editing timelapse videos. It's fast, easy, and intuitive to use. Indeed, iMovie offers many speed options for slowing down videos compared to many third-party alternatives. Here's how to use it:

Step 1: Enter Timelapse Editing Mode

Launch iMovie >> Choose 'Movie' among video editing options in the Main Menu.

Step 2: Import Timelapse Video

Navigate to your timelapse video in the photo gallery >> Select the video >> Tap 'Create Movie'.

Step 3: Activate Speed Setting

Tap on the imported video to select it >> Choose the 'Speedometer' icon at the bottom of the screen.

Step 4: Adjust Speed

Use the slider to adjust the speed. The slider lets you slow down videos by up to 1/8^th of its original speed.

Step 5: Save Edited Timelapse

After completing the edits, click 'Done'>> Tap 'Save' to download the video and 'Share Video' for uploading to various platforms.

Part 3: How to Slow Down Time Lapse Video on Android

Google Pixel users have the speed setting option for timelapse videos built into their camera app. You can set this speed before starting the video recording. However, you cannot do the same for a previously recorded timelapse video. You'll need a third-party app like Video Speed Changer: SlowMo or Time Lapse Video to do that. Here's a quick tutorial on how to use Video Speed Changer: SlowMo to slow down your timelapse video's speed:

Step 1: Import Video to Video Speed Changer: SlowMo

Download, install, and launch 'Video Speed Changer: SlowMo'>> Import timelapse video from the gallery.

Step 2: Adjust Speed

Click 'Speed' >> Set the speed to 0.5x or 0.75x, as required.

Step 3: Save Video

Preview the speed-adjusted video >> Save it.

FAQs about Slow Down Time Lapse

Q1. Can I slow down a time lapse without losing quality?

A1. Several factors affect the quality of your timelapse video when you slow it down, not least of which is the app you choose. HitPaw Univd edits timelapse videos, preserving 100% of their original quality, unlike most other tools that compromise video quality during editing.
Additionally, you must ensure you're working with a high-resolution video with a high frame rate. As the video slows, a slower frame rate may make video playback choppy or jerky. Likewise, consistent lighting, stable footage, precision editing, etc., go a long way in ensuring that the timelapse video quality remains high after edits, small or big.

Q2. What's the best speed to slow down a timelapse?

A2. The best speed for slowing down a timelapse depends on the video contents, context, intended, visual impact, and quality of the timelapse video. For watching sunsets, a dramatically slower timelapse video lets users enjoy and appreciate the gradual color changes in the sky. However, anything below the 24fps frame rate produces a jittery timelapse video. 60fps and above deliver smooth transitions. So, consider the impact you wish to deliver to your audiences and experiment with different speeds until you arrive at the right setting.

Q3. Does slowing down a time-lapse turn it into a normal video?

A3. Usually, the answer is no! Timelapse videos are created from frames captured at regular intervals at a much slower rate than normal videos. When you slow down the timelapse, you'll see the same frames as before, albeit slower. A normal video typically captures dozens of frames per second. If your timelapse captured only 1 frame or even 5 of them per second, it won't deliver the smooth video playback experience normal videos offer.

Conclusion

Slowing down time-lapse videos can really make them more interesting and fun to watch. Whether you're using a computer or a smartphone, the steps discussed in this guide help you adjust the speed without messing up the video quality. Tools like HitPaw Univd make it simple to slow down your videos and make them look even better. With HitPaw Univd, you get advanced features like batch processing, intuitive UI, fast edits, and more. Check it out today.

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