Insta360

Arashi Vision Inc., doing business as Insta360, is a Chinese camera company headquartered in Shenzhen, China. It is known for its action cameras and 360-degree cameras, including the flagship X-series and the miniature GO series. The company has partnered with Leica on some of its products, and its professional cameras have been used by NASA for live streaming events. The company has also faced public scrutiny over data privacy, product security vulnerabilities, and its marketing ethics. In 2024, the company reported $780M in revenue and $131M in net profit.

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History

Insta360 was founded in 2015 by CEO J. K. Liu. Liu and his co-founders met while studying computer science at Nanjing University. According to Nikkei Asia, Liu's interest in 360-degree camera technology was inspired by attending a music concert, which motivated him to develop products for recording and sharing large-scale events. After graduating, Liu and his team moved to Shenzhen to establish the company.
The company's first products included a live-streaming smartphone app, followed by an accessory that converted a smartphone into a 360-degree camera. The company later developed integrated 360-degree action cameras, beginning with the Insta360 ONE. Since its founding, Insta360 has opened international offices in Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Berlin.
In 2020, Insta360 began a strategic partnership with Leica to produce the ONE R 1-Inch Edition camera module. That same year, the Insta360 ONE R was named one of Time magazine's "Best Inventions of 2020." The company's products have also been carried by Apple in its retail stores.
The company's professional-grade cameras have been used by NASA on multiple occasions. In 2018, NASA used the Insta360 Pro and Pro 2 to live-stream the landing of the InSight Mars lander from its mission control center. This project earned NASA an Emmy Award for Outstanding Interactive Program. In 2021, the Insta360 Pro 2 was used again to live-stream the landing of the Perseverance rover on Mars.
In June 2025, Insta360's parent company, Arashi Vision Inc., held its initial public offering on the Shanghai Stock Exchange STAR Market, becoming a publicly listed company.

Product lines

Insta360 develops several camera lines for consumer and professional markets, which are supported by the company's mobile and desktop software.

Consumer Camera Lines

X Series: The company's line of 360-degree cameras. The Insta360 X4, released in April 2024, was described by PCMag as the "best consumer 360-degree camera" due to its introduction of 8K video resolution, a notable improvement over its predecessors.
GO Series: A line of miniature, wearable action cameras. The Insta360 GO 3S, launched in June 2024, upgraded the series to 4K video resolution. According to a review by T3, the camera is a "tiny, magnetic, and versatile" system consisting of a small camera body and a charging case, the "Action Pod," which adds a flip-up touchscreen.
Ace Series: A line of traditionally shaped action cameras. The Insta360 Ace Pro was co-engineered with Leica and features a 1/1.3-inch sensor. TechRadar highlighted its flip-up screen and strong low-light video quality as key features.
Other Products: The company also produces other hardware, including the ONE RS modular camera system, professional-grade VR cameras, webcams, and smartphone gimbals.

Software

Insta360 cameras are supported by a mobile app and Insta360 Studio desktop software. The software is used to edit and reframe 360-degree video into a standard format and includes numerous AI-powered editing features.

Controversy

Data Privacy and Security Concerns

In January 2025, an investigative report by Newsweek raised significant concerns about the security of Chinese-made Insta360 cameras, which are used by U.S. military personnel and NASA. The research, conducted by U.S. security specialists from Parallax Research and another unnamed firm, found that the devices communicated with 276 foreign endpoints, including servers in China and Russia. These endpoints reportedly included entities such as Huawei, ByteDance, and Chinese state-owned telecoms. Additionally, the associated mobile app was alleged to collect extensive user data, including the device's IMEI number, third-party login information, and user interests. Audio data captured by the cameras was also found to be transmitted to servers belonging to iFlyTek, a Chinese company currently sanctioned by the U.S. government on national security grounds. The study's findings led to calls for stricter vetting of foreign-made technology in sensitive environments.

Wi-Fi Security Vulnerability

In 2022, a significant security flaw was reported concerning certain Insta360 camera models, such as the Insta360 ONE X2. The vulnerability allowed unauthorized access to users' photos and videos. The cameras were found to broadcast a Wi-Fi signal with a network name that included part of the camera's serial number. The password for this network was an unchangeable, universal default on all affected devices. Anyone within range could connect to the camera's Wi-Fi and, by following a simple URL, access and download the camera's content directly through a web browser without further authentication. The vulnerability was even claimed to allow root access to the camera over Wi-Fi, potentially enabling an attacker to inject malware onto the camera's SD card. Insta360 stated they were aware of the issue and were working on a firmware update to allow users to change the password and to terminate the directory listing function that permitted easy browser access. Later models like the X3 and X4 have since allowed users to change their Wi-Fi passwords.

Undisclosed Sponsorships and Marketing Ethics

In 2024, controversy arose following allegations from content creators, including high-profile YouTubers, that Insta360's marketing team was instructing them not to disclose that their review videos were sponsored. This practice was criticized as a violation of regulatory guidelines, such as those set by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, which mandate clear and conspicuous disclosure of any "material connection" between an endorser and a marketer. Critics accused the company of deliberately attempting to mislead viewers by presenting paid promotional content as organic, unbiased reviews, leading to public boycotts by some creators. Insta360 later characterized this as an "isolated incident" caused by new hires and stated they would implement corrective policies to ensure proper disclosure.