How to Edit a Video in Photos | Trim, Adjust, and More

The Photos app on Windows, iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision Pro, and Android can trim clips, adjust speed, apply filters, and mix audio without leaving the app.

The need to shorten a clip or pull out a shaky five seconds happens more often than you think. The Photos app on your device has built-in tools for basic edits, and the steps are surprisingly similar across platforms. Whether you are on a Windows computer, an iPhone, or an Android phone, the timeline sliders work the same way. The trade-off is in scope: Photos handles trimming, speed, and light effects well, but multi-track projects need a proper video editor like Clipchamp on Windows or iMovie on Apple devices.

Editing a Video in Windows Photos

On Windows 11 and 10, the Photos app can trim video clips quickly. Open the video by double-clicking it or choosing Open with > Photos.

• Click the Trim button or press Ctrl+E on your keyboard.
• Drag the white sliders on the timeline to set where the trimmed version starts and ends.
• Choose Save as Copy to keep the original untouched, or overwrite the original file.

For speed adjustments, effects, or multi-clip projects, Microsoft directs you to Clipchamp, which comes preinstalled on Windows 11. Windows 10 users can install it from the Microsoft Store. A common confusion is expecting the Photos app to act like a full timeline editor — it does not. Stick to single-clip trims inside Photos, and use Clipchamp for anything more involved.

Editing a Video in Apple Photos (iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro)

Apple handles trimming the same way across its devices. Open the video in Photos and tap or click Edit.

You will see a timeline at the bottom of the screen with yellow sliders on each end. Drag those sliders to select the portion you want to keep, then tap Done. Choose Save Video as New Clip to preserve the original, or Save Video to overwrite it. On Apple Vision Pro, tap Trim from the menu that appears, then move the sliders and save.

Beyond trimming, Apple Photos lets you change playback speed, adjust slo-mo sections across the timeline, and use Audio Mix with four modes: Standard, In-Frame, Studio, and Cinematic. Any edit can be undone with the Revert to Original option. The catch is that Apple Photos is not a non-linear editor — you cannot layer multiple video tracks or do precision cuts on a second timeline. For that, Apple expects you to use iMovie or Final Cut Pro.

Editing a Video in Google Photos on Android

Google Photos on Android offers more tools than its counterparts on Windows and Apple. Open a video in the Google Photos app and tap the Edit button at the bottom of the screen.

From there you can:

• Crop or rotate the video 90 degrees.
• Adjust Brightness and Contrast using sliders.
• Apply Filters or Effects like black and white or vignette.
• Change playback Speed on selected segments.
• Mute or erase original audio using the Audio Eraser tool.
• Add Text or Music from your on-device library.

When you are finished, tap Save. Google Photos saves your edits on top of the existing file, but the original is kept in your backup until you manually delete it. A detail many users miss is that tools like Audio Eraser and Speed appear only after you open the edit screen — they are not obvious from the main menu.

The differences between these apps are small for basic trimming — every platform uses a timeline with start and end sliders. The bigger gap is in what extras are offered. Google Photos gives the most tools for a free built-in app, while Apple Photos focuses on audio polish and speed tweaks. Windows Photos stays the simplest, pushing any serious work to Clipchamp. No paid plan is required on any of these for the basic editing features described here. Microsoft’s Photos support page documents the full Windows workflow.

What About the Old Windows Video Editor in Photos?

Older versions of the Photos app on Windows included a Video Editor accessed through New video project. That workflow let you build a storyboard from multiple clips, add a title, and apply transitions. It used a Project library and Storyboard approach rather than a timeline. Microsoft has since shifted that functionality to Clipchamp, which is the recommended path for multi-clip projects on current versions of Windows. If your device still shows the old Video Editor, it works, but expect no further updates.

How to Keep Your Original Video Safe

A simple habit prevents accidental overwrites. On Windows, always select Save as Copy instead of the default save option. On Apple devices, choose Save Video as New Clip to leave the original untouched. On Android, Google Photos stores your edits on top of the file, but the original remains in your cloud backup until you delete it manually. If you are editing a critical video for work or a family event, duplicate the file in your Files app before opening it in Photos.

Finish With the Right Choice for Your Edit

For a single clip that needs a quick trim, a speed change, or a filter, the Photos app on any platform is fast and competent. For a project with multiple clips, layered audio, or transitions, move to Clipchamp on Windows or iMovie on Apple devices. Google Photos on Android sits in a middle ground — it can handle music, text, and audio erase without leaving the app, making it the most powerful built-in option for phone edits. The steps are the same across platforms: open the video, move the sliders, and save a copy. That simplicity is why Photos is the first tool to try for most video edits.