10 Best Tips for Editing Videos in Google Photos

When it comes to editing videos on Android or iOS, many people overlook the Google Photos app. However, you might be surprised to learn that Google Photos offers a range of video editing features. With Google Photos, you can crop, trim, stabilize, rotate, and add effects to your videos. If you're wondering how to edit videos using Google Photos, check out these 10 tips for editing videos on the Google Photos app on Android and iPhone.

How to Edit Videos in Google Photos

The steps for editing videos in Google Photos are the same on both Android and iPhone, unless otherwise stated.

1. Trim Video

To trim the length of your video, follow these steps:

1. Open the video you want to edit in the Google Photos app and tap on the Edit icon at the bottom.
2. Tap on the Video tab (the first one) at the bottom. Choose the start and end points of your video by dragging the white bar at both ends of the slider.
3. Tap on Save copy to download the trimmed video. The original video will remain unaffected.

2. Mute Audio

While you can't add custom audio to videos in Google Photos, you can mute the video's audio. To do this, enter the editing mode by tapping on the Edit icon. Then, under the Video tab, you'll find the Speaker icon. Simply tap on it to mute the audio.

3. Stabilize Video

If your video is too shaky, you can stabilize it using Google Photos. Please note that at the time of writing, this feature is only available on the Google Photos Android app.

To stabilize a video, enter the Google Photos editing mode and tap on the Stabilize button under the Video tab. It may take some time, so be patient. Once the video has stabilized, you'll notice that the Stabilize icon has turned blue.

4. Export Image from Video

Instead of taking a screenshot, you can export a frame from your video as an image using Google Photos' native Export Frame feature.

Open the video you want to edit in Google Photos. Once in editing mode, tap on the slider to navigate to the desired frame you want to export. You'll see a white bar at the selection point. Tap on Export frame, and the image will be saved to your phone's Gallery.

For certain videos, you may notice tiny white dots above the video slider. Tapping on them allows you to extract HDR photos. Once you find the right frame, tap on the Export HDR shot button.

5. Crop, Rotate, and Change Perspective of Video

To crop, rotate, or change the perspective of your video in Google Photos:

1. Open the video you want to edit in Google Photos and tap on the Edit icon.
2. Go to the Crop tab. Here, you'll find different video editing tools. To crop your video, use the four tiny circles at the corners of the video. Drag the corners to adjust the height and width of the video.
3. Tap on the Rotate icon repeatedly to rotate the video to the desired position. Similarly, use the Perspective tools to change the perspective of your video.
4. If you're not satisfied with the changes you made under the Crop tab, you can tap on Reset. Alternatively, you can use third-party video editors to crop your videos if you're not happy with Google Photos' crop capabilities.

6. Adjust Color and Light

You can adjust brightness, saturation, warmth, and various other color effects for your video in Google Photos.

On Android, enter the editing mode and tap on the Adjust tab in Google Photos. Here, you'll find various tools. Tap on any tool to activate it, and adjust the intensity using the available slider. When a slider is active, it turns blue.

On iPhone, enter the editing mode for your video and tap on the Adjust light and color icon. Here, you'll find two sliders: Light and Color. Use them to edit your video. Alternatively, tap on the small down arrows next to Light and Color to reveal more editing sliders.

7. Add Filters

To enhance your video further, you can add filters to it. Enter the editing mode and tap on the Filters tab. You'll see several filters available. Tap on the one you want to use, and tap on it again to adjust its intensity. You can also explore the best video filter apps for Android and iPhone for more options.

To remove filters, tap on the Original option (iPhone) or None option (Android) under Filters.

8. View Original Videos

If you want to compare the edited video with the original video at any point during the editing process, simply touch and hold the video. The original video will appear.

9. Draw on Video

The Google Photos video editor allows you to draw on your videos using the Android app. Enter the editing mode and tap on the More tab, followed by Markup. Use the available colors and pen types to draw on your video. You can remove the last drawing using the Undo button. Tap on Done to go back. Don't forget to tap on Save copy to download the edited video to your phone. If you're interested, learn how to add moving text to your videos.

10. Save Video

On both Android and iPhone, use the Save copy button to save the edited video to your phone. The Save copy button creates a new copy of the video, while the original video remains untouched. So even if you make a mistake while editing, your original footage will be safe and sound.

Google Photos' video editor has improved significantly over the years. However, it still lacks certain high-end features like transitions and combining multiple clips. Hopefully, Google will add these features to Google Photos in the future. In the meantime, you can use third-party video editors on iPhone and Android to edit your videos. If you're interested in editing images with Google Photos, check out our article on image editing tips for Google Photos.