Magic tricks for social media: a buyer’s guide

The best magic for Instagram, TikTok and YouTube Shorts is visual, quick to read on a small screen, happy to be seen from one lens angle and fast to reset so you can do take after take. Phone tricks and animation effects suit the format well. Choose tricks that also fool people live, and film the magic in one continuous take, because online viewers judge a clip differently from a room.

For the filming side (light, framing, focus), see our guide to how to film magic for social media. Here we go deeper into choosing the trick itself.

Why is camera magic judged differently?

A live audience trusts what they saw a moment ago. An online viewer can pause, rewatch, slow the clip down and read a hundred comments from people trying to work it out. They also know video can be edited, so the first question many viewers ask is “was that a cut?”

The lens gives you one fixed viewpoint, which helps with angles, but the viewer gets unlimited replays of it. A trick for social media has to hold up under scrutiny, not just in the moment.

Two honest rules follow:

• Perform the magic, don’t edit it. Every pick below is a real trick that happens in front of the camera. Trim the start and end if you like, but keep the magic itself in one take. Faking an effect with cuts or camera tricks is a different craft, and viewers who spot it stop trusting your other clips.
• Pick tricks that also work live. A trick that only works through a lens is no help when a friend asks you to show them at a party. Check each product page for angles before you buy.

What makes a trick work on camera?

Run any trick past these six questions:

• Is it visual? Something moves, floats, changes or appears. A visual change reads fast, even with the sound off.
• Is it quick? The magic moment should land early. Long build-ups lose scrolling viewers.
• Does it work to one lens angle? Most close-up tricks are built for people in front of you, which suits a camera. Our guide to angles in magic explains the ratings.
• How fast does it reset? You will rarely nail a clip on the first take. A trick that is ready again in seconds lets you film ten takes in ten minutes. See what “reset” means in magic.
• Is it reaction-friendly? Tricks that happen with a spectator’s own object, or in their hands, give you a real reaction to film. Always ask permission before you film someone.
• Is it phone-based? The phone is already in the shot. Our phone magic guide explains the main types.

Our picks compared

Every detail in this table comes from the product’s own description. “Not stated” means the description doesn’t say, so check the product page or demo before you buy.

Trick	What viewers see	Phone-based	Reset	Angles
Leviosa	A deck cuts itself, then flies from the floor to your hand	No	Resets itself	Not stated
Leviosa Phone	A phone turns over, lights up, then flies to your hand	Yes	Not stated	Not stated
On Edge	A house of cards balances on a single point	No	No setup out of the box	360 degrees
Extortion	A $1 bill changes to a $20 with a shake	No	Easy to reset	Not stated
iStretch	A borrowed AirPod stretches, shrinks and vanishes	No (uses AirPods)	Not stated	Not stated
Materialization	A picture on your phone becomes a real object	Yes	About five to ten seconds to prepare	360 degrees

Which tricks give the biggest visual moment?

Levitation and animation are made for short video, because the viewer sees the impossible thing straight away. Leviosa by Julio Montoro and João Miranda starts with a signed card returned to the deck. The deck cuts itself in half and projects the signed card out, then the whole deck rises from the floor and flies into your hand. For filming, the key line is that it resets itself: you start and end clean, and you can perform it again straight away. It comes ready to use out of the box, with the special gimmicks, accessories, a USB charger and full video instructions.

On Edge by Angelo Carbone is quieter, and that’s its charm. You build a house of cards, take cards away, and instead of falling it balances on a single point. A touch brings it down. The description says it needs zero skill, is easier than an ordinary house of cards, needs no setup out of the box and plays at 360 degrees. You’ll need a non-slip surface. Browse more in our levitation and animation collection.

What are the best phone tricks for social media?

Leviosa Phone, from the same creators as Leviosa, is built into a realistic-looking phone that works in sync with an app on your own phone. In three phases, a phone lying face up on the floor turns over on its own, its flashlight turns on when you touch a spectator’s finger, and finally it levitates and flies into your hand.

Materialization by Pierre Velarde lets you turn a picture on your phone into a real object. The listed phases are a digital prediction, a digital teleportation and a digital torn and restored card, plus bonus effects including a business card and a cash materialization. The description says it works on any phone, can be performed at 360 degrees, installs in three to five seconds and takes about five to ten seconds to prepare. More ideas live in our phone and tech magic collection.

Which tricks get real reactions?

Reactions come from magic that happens to something the spectator owns or holds. iStretch by Craig Petty starts by borrowing a spectator’s AirPods and handing the case back. One AirPod visibly stretches to an impossible length and shrinks back, then it vanishes and turns up in the case they’ve held the whole time. It comes with custom AirPod and AirPod Pro gimmicks and a full tutorial video with a range of routines.

Extortion by Patrick Kun changes a $1 bill to a $20 at your fingertips with a blow or a shake and no cover. Its description calls it easy to do and easy to reset, and the gimmick is thin and flexible enough to live in your wallet. A bonus method transposes your bill with one the spectator holds in their fist, which gives you the moment they open their hand to film.

How do I pick the right one for me?

• You want the biggest visual: Leviosa or Leviosa Phone.
• You want something easy to start this week: On Edge, which its description says needs zero skill.
• You film lots of takes: look for “resets itself” or “easy to reset” in the description, or browse our instant reset collection.
• You want reactions: iStretch or Extortion, where the magic happens near the spectator’s own hands.

Whatever you choose, rehearse it live before you film it. If it fools a friend across the table with no edits, it will hold up to a viewer on the replay button.

Frequently asked questions