How To Edit Videos On Iphone

Editing videos on your iPhone has become easier and more versatile with the tools Apple provides in iOS. With built-in apps like Photos and iMovie, and a variety of third-party apps, you can edit videos right on your device without needing professional editing software. Here’s a step-by-step guide to editing videos on an iPhone, with tips to help you get creative and achieve polished results.

Using the Photos App for Basic Edits

The Photos app on your iPhone allows for quick and easy video edits, including trimming, adjusting exposure, applying filters, and cropping.

Steps to Edit in the Photos App:

1. Open the Photos App: Go to your Camera Roll and locate the video you want to edit.

2. Tap on Edit: In the top-right corner of the screen, tap Edit. This will open the editing interface with basic tools.

3. Trim the Video: Drag the handles at the start and end of the timeline to trim unwanted portions. This is helpful for removing unnecessary parts of the video.

4. Apply Filters: Tap the filter icon to browse through various color filters. These can enhance the look of your video, making it warmer, cooler, or even black and white.

5. Adjust Settings: Tap the adjustment tool (the dial icon) to adjust brightness, contrast, saturation, shadows, and highlights. This helps correct any issues with lighting or exposure.

6. Crop and Rotate: If you want to crop or rotate the video, tap the cropping tool. You can adjust the aspect ratio, crop out distractions, and rotate to the desired orientation.

Saving the Edit:

Once you’re satisfied, tap Done. You’ll have the option to save changes or revert to the original if needed.

Using iMovie for Advanced Edits

iMovie, Apple’s free video editing app, offers more advanced features like adding music, text, and transitions. It’s ideal for longer or more detailed edits.

Steps to Edit in iMovie:

1. Download and Open iMovie: If you don’t have iMovie, download it from the App Store. Then, open the app and create a New Project.

2. Add Your Video: Tap Create Movie and select the video clips you want to edit from your Camera Roll. iMovie will add them to your timeline.

3. Trim and Arrange Clips: Tap on a video clip in the timeline to access trimming tools. Drag the edges to cut down clips, and rearrange their order by holding and moving them around.

4. Add Transitions: iMovie includes transition options like fade and dissolve. Tap between clips to choose your preferred transition, giving your video a smooth, professional look.

5. Add Music and Sound Effects: Tap Audio to add background music, sound effects, or voiceover. You can use built-in soundtracks or import music from your library.

6. Add Text and Titles: To add text, tap the clip, select Titles, and choose a style. iMovie offers options like sliding text or centered titles to personalize your video.

7. Apply Filters: Tap the filter icon to select a filter for individual clips or the entire video. This can give a cohesive, stylized appearance to the video.

Exporting from iMovie:

Once you’re finished, tap Done and then the share button to export your video. You can save it to your Photos app, upload to social media, or share via AirDrop.

Using Third-Party Apps for Specialized Edits

If you want even more features, the App Store offers several powerful third-party video editing apps, including InShot, Adobe Premiere Rush, and Splice.

Recommended Third-Party Apps:

InShot: Great for social media videos. It offers tools for trimming, cropping, adding music, text, and stickers.

1.  Adobe Premiere Rush: A professional-grade app with advanced editing tools, including color correction, motion graphics, and multi-track audio.

2. Splice: Known for its easy-to-use interface, Splice lets you add music, filters, and transitions with drag-and-drop simplicity.

Each app varies in functionality and complexity, but most follow similar steps for importing, editing, and exporting video clips.

Adding Music and Voiceovers

Adding background music or voiceovers can greatly enhance the quality of your video. You can add these using either iMovie or third-party apps.

Steps to Add Music in iMovie:

1. Select Audio in iMovie: Tap Audio from the media menu in iMovie to browse soundtracks, sound effects, or music from your library.

2. Add Voiceover: Tap + in the timeline and select Voiceover. Press record, speak, and then save the recording to add narration.

Third-Party Music Apps:

If you need copyright-free music, apps like Artlist, Epidemic Sound, or Soundstripe offer royalty-free music libraries for use in your projects.

Creating Slow-Motion and Time-Lapse Effects

Adding slow-motion or time-lapse effects can give your videos a dramatic feel. If you have an iPhone model that supports these effects (iPhone 5S and later), you can record directly in these modes or apply the effect during editing.

Adjusting Speed in iMovie:

1. Tap the Video Clip: In the iMovie timeline, select the clip you want to speed up or slow down.

2. Speed Adjustment Tool: Tap the speedometer icon to adjust speed. Slide left for slow motion or right to speed up.

Using Third-Party Apps for Advanced Speed Effects:

Apps like Slow Fast Motion and Videoshop let you apply variable speed effects, such as creating a “fast-slow-fast” effect in the same clip for a unique dynamic.

Stabilizing Shaky Footage

Shaky video can be distracting, but stabilization tools in apps like iMovie and Adobe Premiere Rush can help smooth out motion.

Stabilization in iMovie:

While iMovie on iPhone has limited stabilization options, you can reduce minor shakes by applying slow-motion effects. For better stabilization, consider using apps like Emulsio or Adobe Premiere Rush, which include dedicated stabilization features.

Exporting and Sharing Your Edited Video

Once you’re done editing, export your video in high quality. iOS offers multiple sharing options, allowing you to save, email, or upload directly to social media.

Steps to Export from Photos or iMovie:

1. Tap the Share Icon: In iMovie or Photos, tap the Share button.

2. Choose Quality: Select video resolution (e.g., 720p, 1080p, or 4K) based on your needs.

3. Share or Save: You can save to your Photos, share via AirDrop, or upload directly to social media like YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok.

Tips for Social Media Exports:

1. Vertical for Stories: If editing for Instagram Stories or TikTok, consider a vertical (9:16) aspect ratio.

2. Horizontal for YouTube: For YouTube or similar platforms, use a horizontal (16:9) format.

Using Keyboard Shortcuts on iPad for Faster Editing

If you edit on an iPad with a keyboard, iMovie offers several useful shortcuts to speed up your workflow.

Common shortcuts include:

1. Command + B: Split a clip

2. Command + Z: Undo

3. Spacebar: Play/Pause

Experiment with Video Overlays and Green Screen (Advanced)

More advanced techniques, like overlays and green screens, require apps with multi-layer editing, such as LumaFusion or Adobe Premiere Rush.

1. LumaFusion: Supports multi-layer editing, video overlays, and green screen effects.

2. Adobe Premiere Rush: Allows adding overlays and green screen effects but with fewer customization options than LumaFusion.

Backing Up Your Projects

To ensure your edited videos are saved securely, back up your projects using iCloud, Dropbox, or Google Drive. You can also use an external hard drive with compatible iOS adapters.

Conclusion

With the powerful video editing capabilities on iPhone, you can create high-quality videos directly from your device. Starting with the built-in Photos app for basic edits, moving to iMovie for more complex projects, or exploring third-party apps for specialized effects, you have a wide range of tools at your fingertips. Experiment with trimming, filters, music, transitions, and effects to bring your creative vision to life, and share your videos with confidence.