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How to do the bubble hands effect

To do the bubble hands effect, open Mote on your iPhone, pick Bubble, pinch the air with your thumb and index finger, pull back and let go: a soap bubble pops out of your fingers and floats around the room in the live camera.

Get Mote on the App StoreiPhone only for now. Mote on Google Play has the other effects.
AI-generated actor · real Mote effect, recorded in the app

The gesture, step by step

  1. Open Mote on your iPhone and pick Bubble.
  2. Pinch the air with your thumb and index finger.
  3. Pull back, then let go: a bubble pops out and floats around the room.

Tap the effect name at the bottom of the camera to switch looks, or turn on AUTO.

  • Blow
  • Prism
  • Orb
  • Mercury

What makes it work

Live hand tracking
Mote follows the pinch between your thumb and index finger in the live camera and releases the bubble when you let go. Bubble is one of the free effects on iPhone.
No editing
The effect is drawn on the live camera, so the clip you record already has it.
Phones
iPhone only for now (iOS 16.0 or later).
Price
Free in Mote.
Recording
Up to 15 seconds free, 60 seconds with Pro. Save to Photos, or from Mote 1.3.0 share straight to Instagram Stories.

Questions

Is the Bubble effect free?

Yes. Bubble is one of Mote's free effects on iPhone. Free clips record up to 15 seconds with a small MOTE watermark. Mote Pro adds every other effect, 60-second clips and no watermark.

Do I need to edit the video to get the bubble effect?

No. Mote draws Bubble on the live camera while you film, using real-time hand tracking. What you see on screen is what gets recorded, so there is no timeline, keyframing or green screen.

Which phones can do the bubble effect?

Bubble is on iPhone only for now (iOS 16 or later). The Android version of Mote has the other effects, including the free Web and Light Trails.

Can I share it to Instagram or TikTok?

Yes. Record the clip in Mote, save it to Photos, and post it anywhere. From Mote 1.3.0 there is also a Share to Story button that sends the clip straight to Instagram Stories.

Do I need an account?

No. Mote works without an account, and hand tracking runs on your phone; camera frames are not uploaded.

More hand effects

All Mote effects