As a video creator using an iPhone, being able to crop and trim videos directly on your device is essential for producing high-quality content. With the built-in Photos app and third-party editing apps, cropping and trimming videos on an iPhone is simple and straightforward.
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Ensure Your iPhone is Running iOS 13 or Later
To access the built-in video editing tools in the Photos app, you need to have iOS 13 or later installed on your iPhone. To check your iOS version, go to Settings > General > Software Update. If you have an earlier iOS version, update to the latest version to use the video editing features.
Open the Video Editor in the Photos App
The Photos app on iPhones running iOS 13 or later has a built-in video editor. To access it:
- Open the Photos app
- Tap on the video you want to edit
- Tap “Edit” in the upper right corner
This will open up the video editing interface where you can trim and crop your video.
Trim Your Video
Trimming lets you shorten your video by removing unwanted sections from the beginning or end. To trim:
- Drag the handles on either end of the video timeline
- Playback the video and adjust the trim points as needed
- Tap “Done” when finished
Trimming removes sections permanently, but you can tap “Revert” to undo it.
Crop Your Video
Cropping allows you to zoom in and remove areas around the edges of the frame. To crop:
- Tap the Crop icon at the bottom
- Adjust the crop box by dragging the corners
- Rotate or straighten as needed
- Tap “Done” when finished
Cropping zooms in and removes outer areas to change framing. You can undo cropping by tapping “Revert”.
Save Your Edited Video
After trimming and cropping your video, tap “Save Video” or “Save Video as New Clip”. The edited version will be saved in your Photos library with your adjustments applied.
Use a Third-Party Video Editor App
While the Photos app covers basic editing, third-party apps like LumaFusion, InShot, and Splice provide more advanced tools. They allow precise cropping, custom aspect ratios, overlays, effects, and more. Many of them also support cropping and trimming in the middle of a video, unlike the Photos app.
Crop Middle Sections of a Video
To crop out a middle section instead of just the beginning or end:
- Trim the video into three segments
- Delete the middle segment you want to remove
- Join the remaining segments together
This effectively crops out any middle section of your choosing.
Adjust Aspect Ratios
When cropping, you can adjust the aspect ratio to match platforms like Instagram or YouTube. To change aspect ratios:
- Tap the Aspect Ratio icon in the crop toolbar
- Select an aspect ratio preset or enter a custom one
This will crop and scale your video to fit that aspect ratio.
Use Keyframes for Precision
Some apps like LumaFusion use keyframes so you can dynamically crop throughout the video. To use keyframes:
- Add crop adjustment keyframes throughout the timeline
- Adjust the crop independently at each keyframe
This allows the crop to change over time rather than stay static.
By following these tips, you can easily crop and trim your videos directly on an iPhone to produce professional-looking content optimized for sharing on social media and other platforms. With practice, you’ll be able to crop and trim with precision.
