Best Gimbal for Samsung Galaxy Phones: Osmo Mobile 8 vs Flow 2

Galaxy phones already have very good built-in stabilisation, but it has limits. If you’re walking or panning a lot, a phone gimbal (a motorised handle for your phone) can make a big difference to your footage, keeping it smooth and level whether you’re filming yourself or following someone else around. So, which phone gimbals are compatible with Galaxy phones? And of those, which ones can track you in the Samsung Camera app rather than only in the maker’s own app? This guide will help you work that out, but before we get into the details, it’s worth saying that you may not actually need one.

We’ve compiled our recommendations using manufacturers’ specifications and compatibility information (checked 12 November 2026). We haven’t tried the gimbals ourselves, so where we’ve added information from other people’s reviews, we name the reviewer. For the phone side of steady video, see our Samsung video stabilisation guide.

Do you need a gimbal with a Galaxy phone?

Often not. Super Steady (the running-figure icon in Video mode) can help smooth out shakiness when you’re walking or running with your phone. On the Galaxy S26 series, the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Z Fold8 and Z Flip8, and the Galaxy S25 series running One UI 9, there’s also Horizontal lock, which keeps the horizon level even if you roll your phone around as you’re shooting. For those holiday videos or for filming your kids running around, that’s enough.

But Super Steady does have its limitations. According to Samsung’s support page for the feature, Super Steady records in QHD or FHD, not at the phone’s full resolution (reviewers note that on the Galaxy S26 Ultra it crops 4K video from the 8K camera sensor), and it doesn’t support HDR10+ recording. You also can’t use Super Steady when shooting with the front camera, and it’s not available with Portrait Video or Pro Video, which is Samsung’s mode for shooting in Log, with manual exposure control and the choice of an external microphone. If you want to shoot steadier video in any of those situations, or without any of those limitations on image quality, a gimbal is your best bet.

• If you're mostly recording short clips with your phone in your hand, filming yourself with the back camera while walking around, or recording travel videos where QHD resolution is enough for you, skip the gimbal.
• If you're planning on shooting in Pro Video or Log, want to record super-smooth 8K or 4K videos, film yourself talking with the front camera while walking around, or want slow, controlled pans and push-ins, grab yourself a gimbal.
• If you record yourself doing something alone (vlogging, sport, cooking and so on) and want the camera to follow you around the room, grab a gimbal with a tracking module.
• Get a tripod instead if your shots don't move. It's steadier and cheaper than a gimbal, and it doesn't need charging.

The best phone gimbals for Galaxy phones, compared

Below are the latest gimbal models from the three companies that mention Samsung phone compatibility or Android phone tracking on their product pages. All the data is sourced from their respective websites. Note that the maximum thickness includes your phone’s case.

DJI Osmo Mobile 8: the best all-rounder

The DJI Osmo Mobile 8 was released in November 2025. It weighs about 370g with its magnetic clamp, tripod and module, folds small, and has a 215mm extension rod and a compact tripod built into the handle. There’s 360-degree panning (handy if someone walks around you whilst you’re filming them), and it can charge your phone as you shoot.

Opt for the Advanced Tracking Combo (£135 in the UK), which adds the Multifunctional Module. This can be attached to the clamp and offers subject tracking (people, cats and dogs) that works with any camera app, including the Samsung Camera app, with no DJI app running. There’s also gesture control for starting and stopping video recording. Expect a battery life of around 10 hours (five with subject tracking active) according to DJI. Android Authority used one with a Galaxy S25 Ultra and noted that some features require the add-on module.

If you’re in the US, it’s worth noting that, as DJI told DroneDJ at launch, the Osmo Mobile 8 isn’t sold through DJI’s official US channels (nor is the 8P). It’s listed by third-party sellers on Amazon, but you won’t get DJI’s US support.

DJI Osmo Mobile 8P: for cased Ultras and remote control

The Osmo Mobile 8P arrived in May 2026. Its Module 2 adds object tracking (not just people and pets, but vehicles and other objects too). The clamp can accommodate a phone (with case) that’s up to 11mm thick (rather than the Osmo Mobile 8’s 10mm), meaning there’s just over 3mm of case thickness you can add to an S26 Ultra (7.9mm thick). It also has a wider three-legged tripod and a remote control called FrameTap that mirrors what’s on your phone’s screen, so you can frame shots whilst standing on the opposite side of the room.

Like the Osmo Mobile 8, the 8P isn’t officially available in the US from DJI. Wherever you buy one, make sure you check which version you’re getting: the £135 Standard Combo comes with FrameTap but doesn’t include the tracking Module 2 (you’ll need the £169 Advanced Tracking Combo for that).

Insta360 Flow 2 Plus: the easy choice for tracking in the US

Insta360 sells the Flow 2 in three versions. For $129.99, the Flow 2 Plus is essentially the regular Flow 2 with the AI Tracker included in the box. Without the tracker, tracking in the Samsung Camera app and other Android apps just wouldn’t work: Insta360 says it enables smart tracking “in any phone and any app”. There’s a 207mm extension rod and tripod built into the handle, and Insta360 claims that the battery should last for around 10 hours.

Its pan range is limited to −210° to 120°, so unlike the DJI models and the Flow 2 Pro, the Flow 2 can’t rotate endlessly, but for shooting vlogs or keeping up with a single person, that likely won’t matter too much. Insta360 sells the Flow 2 directly in the US, making it the simplest of these gimbals to buy there.

Insta360 Flow 2 Pro: for the Insta360 app's tracking and 360° pans

The pricier Flow 2 Pro ($159.99) adds 360-degree panning as well as the strongest tracking of any Insta360 gimbal, although some of its most powerful tracking tools (including multi-person tracking and Active Zoom Tracking, which adjusts the zoom level to keep the subject the same size) are limited to Insta360's own app. In that app, according to Insta360's phone compatibility list, the S26 series' ultrawide, wide and telephoto cameras work at zoom levels from 0.7x to 10x and can shoot video at up to 4K at 60fps. To get tracking in the Samsung Camera app, you have to pay another $39.99 for the AI Tracker.

Hohem iSteady V3 Ultra: heavier phones and app-free tracking

The Hohem iSteady V3 Ultra carries up to 400g, the most here, which leaves room for a heavy case, a light or an add-on lens. Hohem claims its AI tracker can track subjects using your Android smartphone’s native camera app. There’s a handy little detachable touchscreen remote for selecting your subject, and the gimbal can pan 360 degrees. Hohem rates the battery life at nine hours. Hohem doesn’t state a maximum phone thickness, so measure your phone (with case) before you order.

On a budget: DJI Osmo Mobile 7

The Osmo Mobile 7 launched in February 2025 and is still available to buy, at £66 in the UK ($89 launch price in the US). It's worth noting that it only tracks in the Samsung Camera app with DJI's module, which is sold separately (the £93 Osmo Mobile 7P includes one).

Will your Galaxy fit?

Keep in mind that gimbal clamps have limits for the weight, width and thickness of the phone, and the weight and thickness limits include your phone case and any accessories you’ve attached to your phone, like an add-on camera lens. Here’s how the latest Galaxy phones measure up, using Samsung’s published sizes and weights for the phones themselves, without a case.

Insta360 claims its Flow 2 Pro will fit most phones “including foldable phones” (within the limits of its clamp). Neither DJI nor Insta360, however, lists the Z Fold or Z Flip as compatible. And no open Fold fits a phone gimbal’s clamp, so you’d film with the phone folded and use the smaller cover screen.

Two other things to consider. DJI notes that some phones with particularly large camera modules need its counterweight set to balance properly. The cameras on the Ultras sit high on one side, so make sure the phone is balanced before switching the gimbal on. And magnets can interfere with some S Pen functions, Samsung warns. This is worth knowing if you plan to use the S Pen to control the S26 Ultra while filming and your chosen clamp is magnetic.

Tracking on a Samsung: which app does what

Many gimbal reviews rave about the target tracking capabilities that Apple’s DockKit brings to the iPhone’s Camera app, but since every gimbal mentioned above only supports DockKit on iPhone, there are just two ways to achieve subject tracking on a Galaxy.

• A clip-on tracker. DJI’s Multifunctional Module, Insta360’s AI Tracker and Hohem’s tracker do the tracking themselves, so they work with any camera app (the Samsung Camera app, Blackmagic Camera, Instagram and so on). Note that DJI rates its module for people 0.5 to 8m away and doesn’t recommend it in low light or strong backlight. Also, tracking isn’t available in DJI Mimo when using DJI’s Multifunctional Module.
• The maker's app. DJI Mimo and the Insta360 app allow tracking without the tracker (as well as other features like moving timelapses and panoramas). The trade-off is that you’re not using Samsung’s camera processing, and DJI warns that video quality in Mimo may not match the phone’s own camera. Also, maximum zoom in both apps is 10x (0.6x to 10x in DJI Mimo on the Ultras and 0.7x to 10x in Insta360’s app on the S26 series).

In a footnote, DJI adds that for Samsung phones to use Mimo’s multi-camera feature, as well as record video at 4K 60fps, they’ll need to be using a Qualcomm-made processor. Every S26 Ultra uses a Snapdragon chip, but reports say most of the S26 and S26+ phones sold in Europe use Exynos chips instead, so those phones may not get these Mimo features.

Once you’ve paired the gimbal in your phone’s Bluetooth settings, you can use its buttons to control certain functions of the Samsung Camera app. According to DJI’s April 2026 compatibility list, on the S24, S25 and S26 Ultra those controls include taking a photo or video, switching between front- and rear-facing cameras and zooming in or out. On the S25, S25+, S26 and S26+, you can only take a photo or video.

Camera settings for gimbal video

1. 1

   Balance the phone first

   With the gimbal switched off, position your phone in the middle of the clamp and make sure it stays balanced. If it leans towards the camera end, try sliding it along the clamp. Some gimbal makers sell counterweights, which may help if you have an Ultra in a heavy case.

2. 2

   Turn off the phone's own stabilisation

   Head into your phone's Camera settings and disable Video stabilization to stop your phone cropping in to steady the picture (your gimbal will take care of this). Our stabilisation guide explains the OIS switch in Camera Assistant too.

3. 3

   Choose the mode

   Use either Video or Pro Video (if you want to manually control exposure, use Log or connect a mic). We recommend switching Super Steady off, as it's unnecessary when using a gimbal, and this means you can still record in 4K, 8K and HDR10+.

4. 4

   Pair the gimbal's buttons

   Pair your gimbal with your phone via Bluetooth (Settings › Connections › Bluetooth) or, for first-time users, use the gimbal's dedicated app. This will allow you to use the gimbal's shutter and zoom buttons with the Samsung Camera app.

5. 5

   Set up tracking

   Attach the tracking module to your gimbal and point it towards your subject. Use whichever method your gimbal employs to initiate tracking (gesture or remote). Stay within a few metres of the gimbal and try to avoid strong backlight.

6. 6

   Walk softly

   To avoid a bobbing effect (particularly noticeable with wide-angle lenses), bend your knees slightly and walk heel-to-toe. A gimbal will cancel out shake and camera tilt, but can't stop the up-and-down movement of your steps.

For the settings themselves, see our cinematic video settings and Log video guide. If you’re shooting video of people talking, the audio is just as important as the video, and our microphone guide covers which mics work with a Galaxy. Every other accessory is in our gear and accessories hub.

Frequently asked questions