On this page
01Balance the phone before you power on
To use a phone gimbal well, balance the phone in the clamp before you switch the gimbal on. A 3-axis gimbal uses small motors to cancel your hand movement. If the phone is lopsided, those motors spend their effort holding it up instead, which drains the battery, makes the gimbal buzz and lets shake through.
-
Unfold and keep it off
Open the arm fully. Leave the power off so the motors don't fight you while you adjust.
-
Take off bulky extras
Remove thick cases, ring grips and clip-on lenses unless you'll film with them. Every gram you add changes the balance.
-
Center the phone in the clamp
Clamp across the middle of the phone, with the camera on the side the manual shows (usually the left when the phone faces you). Some clamps mark which way is up.
-
Slide until it floats level
Hold the gimbal upright and let go of the phone. If it tips one way, slide the clamp the other way. When the phone stays roughly horizontal on its own, you're done. Some gimbals also have an extendable arm for fine-tuning.
-
Power on and connect the app
Hold the power button, wait for the motors to settle, then pair with the gimbal's app if you want tracking or gesture control.
Twisting the arms by hand while the motors are on strains them. Use the joystick to reposition, or switch off first. And don't power it on folded; most gimbals will throw an error or vibrate.
02Gimbal modes and when to use each
Names vary by brand, but almost every phone gimbal has some version of these modes. Usually you switch with one, two or three presses of the mode button; check the manual or the app for yours.
| Mode | What moves | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Pan follow | Camera follows left-right turns; tilt and roll stay locked | Walking shots, vlogging, most everyday use |
| Pan and tilt follow | Follows left-right and up-down | Following stairs, slopes, or someone sitting down |
| Lock | Camera keeps pointing the same way no matter how you turn | Tracking a subject while you walk past it, steady reveals |
| FPV / full follow | Follows every axis, including roll | Dynamic action shots, tilting horizons on purpose |
| Spin / rotation | Rolls the phone on a timed loop | Short transitions; use sparingly |
Two button presses worth knowing on most models: a double-tap recenters the camera, and a triple-tap flips it to face you for selfie shots.
03How to walk with a gimbal
The gimbal handles small shakes and rotation. It can't cancel the up-and-down bounce of each footstep. That part is on you.
- Bend your knees slightly and keep them soft, like you're carrying a full cup of coffee.
- Roll heel to toe when walking forward, and toe to heel when walking backward. Short steps beat long strides.
- Hold it with two hands, elbows tucked in, close to your chest. Arms fully stretched out shake more.
- Turn your whole body for pans instead of twisting your wrist. Let the motors smooth the turn.
- Move slower than feels natural. Footage always looks faster on playback.
Film walking shots at 60 fps and slow them slightly in your editor. A small amount of slow motion makes footstep bounce much less noticeable.
04Face tracking and phone camera settings
Most app-connected gimbals can track a face or object. Open the gimbal's app, draw a box around the subject (or turn on face tracking), and the gimbal turns to keep it centered. Some gimbals and tracking mounts use gesture control instead: raise a palm to start tracking or take a photo.
- Tracking works best with good light and a subject that stands out from the background. Dark rooms and busy crowds confuse it.
- Leave the phone's normal stabilization on. Many phones' built-in stabilization works fine alongside a gimbal.
- Skip heavy-crop modes like iPhone's Action mode on a gimbal. They crop the frame a lot for stability you already have.
- Use the main 1x lens. Zooming in magnifies every remaining wobble.
If you mostly film sitting still, a tripod is simpler. Our gimbal vs tripod comparison sorts out which suits your videos, and how to set up a phone tripod covers the static side.
05Fixes for common gimbal problems
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Horizon slowly tilts | Roll axis drift | Recalibrate in the app on a flat surface |
| Motors buzz or vibrate | Phone out of balance or too heavy | Rebalance; remove case or lens |
| Footage still bounces | Footsteps, not the gimbal | Bent knees, shorter steps, 60 fps |
| Won't power on or errors | Folded, low battery or phone not mounted | Unfold, mount the phone, charge it |
| Tracking keeps losing you | Low light or busy background | Add light, step away from crowds |
A standalone 3-axis gimbal, a full kit with a tripod and case, and a gimbal that extends into a selfie stick.
Not sure you need one at all? Read do you need a phone gimbal first, or how to choose a phone gimbal if you're comparing models.
Questions people ask
Do you balance a phone gimbal before turning it on?
Yes. Mount and balance the phone with the gimbal off, so the arm stays level on its own. Then power on. An unbalanced phone makes the motors work harder, drains the battery and can cause vibration.
Which gimbal mode should I use?
Pan follow for most walking and vlogging shots. Lock mode when you want the camera to keep pointing at one thing while you move. FPV or full follow for action shots where a tilting horizon is part of the look.
Why is my gimbal footage still shaky?
Usually it's up-and-down bounce from your steps, which a gimbal can't fully cancel. Bend your knees, take short heel-to-toe steps and hold the gimbal close with two hands. Also check the phone is balanced.
Should I turn off phone stabilization when using a gimbal?
Standard stabilization can stay on. Skip heavy-crop modes like iPhone's Action mode, which narrows the frame for stability the gimbal already provides.
Can I use a phone gimbal with a case on?
Often, if the case is slim and the clamp opens wide enough. Thick rugged cases, wallets and ring grips can push the phone out of balance or past the gimbal's weight limit, so remove them if the motors struggle.