How to Use Twitter’s Vine to Create and Share Videos

1. Sign In

   You can sign into Vine using your Twitter account or email address.

   

2. Allow Access

   If you choose to sign in via Twitter, you'll be prompted to give the app access to your Twitter account.

   

3. Sign Up

   Vine will pull in your name, profile picture, and bio from Twitter to create your profile. You can edit that information if you'd like your Vine profile to be a little different than your profile on Twitter.

   

4. Mirroring Twitter

   When linked, your profile on Vine includes the same information as your profile on Twitter.

   

5. Get a Walk-Through

   On screen prompts will walk you through the process of creating your first Vine.

   

6. Pick and Choose

   The green bar at the top of the screen shows you how much of the 6-second time allotment you've already used up.

   

7. Share the Experience

   Once you're done shooting a video you're prompted to add a caption or location information to the video, as well as specify where you'd like to share it.

   

8. View Your Timeline

   Finished Vines show up on a timeline, similar to Instagram's interface.

   

9. Check it Out

   You can browse through Editor's Picks, Vines that are popular now, and all Vines on the service.

   

10. Explore

    Vines can be explored by topic. So you can check out Vines from NYC, Sports, or even Pet videos.

    

11. Autoplay

    Videos on the timeline autoplay when they're displayed on your screen.

    

12. Add Your Friends

    Just because you're following someone on Twitter doesn't mean you'll automatically be following them on Vine. The service works independently of Twitter, so you'll have to follow (and be followed by) everyone again. The service will, however, pull in a list of your Twitter or Facebook friends on Vine to make that process a little easier.

    

What could you show the world in six seconds? That's the idea behind Vine, a service introduced Thursday that allows you to create and share looping videos.

Currently only available for iOS, Vines are created by pressing and holding your finger down on the screen of your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. You're given 6 seconds of "tape" for your video masterpieces, but you can start and stop recording as many times as you'd like during that six seconds to include several different scenes.

For instance, I created this Vine showing off some of the toys I have on my desk, starting and stopping the recording to pick up a new toy. The service can also be used to create a stop-motion video, moving the subjects slightly between each clip. Important to note: Vine is also recording audio, so you'll want to record in quiet places or at the very least be conscious of what audio is going on around you.

Crap On My Desk: A Vine Montage vine.co/v/b5dmdhYuE3F

— Emily Price (@Emily) January 24, 2013

Once you're done creating a video, you're given the option to share your finished masterpiece on Vine, Facebook and Twitter. You can also add a caption and location information to the video. Your finished Vine is also saved to the camera roll on your device. If you want to share a video from the app you have to do it right when you upload it, there's currently no option to go back and share later.

Check out a step-by-step guide to using Vine in the gallery above.

I gave the app a try this afternoon and, truth be told, it really is as simple as it looks.

One hiccup I ran into was a software glitch — or potentially a poor cell signal — in uploading a recently completed Vine. The Vine didn't upload, and prevented my next Vine from being uploaded until I deleted it from the queue.

Another apparent software bug also prevented me from adding a caption to one video, and another made it so a video I tried to share on Twitter never made it to the service. That wouldn't be a huge deal, except you can't go back and share videos, so that magical moment may never make its Twitter debut.

Vines also autoplay from your timeline (or while you're browsing) which can make things awkward if you're sitting in an office and suddenly start blasting sounds from a particularly lively Vine. Audio can be turned on and off, but that still doesn't stop a few slip-ups from happening.

Vine is certainly buggy, but its also new. Hopefully we'll see an update soon that works out the kinks and make the service really shine.

What sorts of things can you see Vine being used for? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Image credit Mashable, Emily Price