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Vine frees users from the shackles of in-app recording

Vine has celebrated hitting 100 million active monthly users by launching an updated app which lets smartphone shooters import video from their device, as well as capture clips from within the app.

The latest version of the app is rolling out to users on iOS today (Android users must stay tuned) and also enables easier tailoring and editing of the popular six second video loops.

The long-requested upload from library feature allows you to mix-up videos previously shot via your phone’s camera and those captured using the Vine app. This opens the door for mobile videographers to add effects and filters using other apps before committing the clip to Vine.

“In addition to your phone’s front- and rear-facing cameras, you now have another source for your Vines: you can import existing videos from your phone,” the company explained in a blog post on Wednesday.

“From the capture screen, you’ll see a new option in the bottom left corner that lets you import a video. You can select one video or mix together several — and yes, slow-motion videos are supported.”

Beyond the new upload functionality, users can also fine tune clips using the new trimming tools. Before today, the business of timing the lengths of the clip had troubled many a Vine user. No longer.

The Twitter-owned company added: “Whether you’ve imported a past video or shot a new one within the Vine app, you can edit your Vines faster and with more precision. Simply tap the scissors from the preview screen to edit your Vine and try out new tools such as the duplicate button and mute button.”

In addition to the scissor tool, users can now choose to preview and undo their last clip right on the preview screen and also access the device’s flashlight for easier shooting in low-light conditions.

Vine’s update continues its tit-for-tat feature battle with Facebook-owned Instagram, which has long allowed users to import video shot elsewhere on the device.

Have you taken the new Vine app for a spin yet? Share your first impressions in the comments section below.

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