For one quick trim, open a video in Photos, tap Edit, adjust its start and stop handles, tap Done, and choose Save Video or Save Video as New Clip. To divide a clip at a chosen point inside a movie project, use iMovie’s Split command. To prepare several excerpts from a long recording, use ReelClip’s Cut for a batch or Slice for moments you select.
Choose the right kind of cut
- Trim the start or end: Use Photos for a quick shorter version of one recording. Choose Save Video as New Clip if you want to keep the original alongside it.
- Split at a point in a timeline: Use iMovie when you want to divide a clip inside a movie project and continue arranging the sections there.
- Prepare several standalone clips: Use ReelClip when you want a set of selected or evenly sized moments from a source recording, then check each result before export.
Trim one video in Photos
- Open Photos and select the video.
- Tap Edit.
- Drag the handles at the ends of the frame viewer to set the new start and stop times.
- Preview the selection, then tap Done.
- Choose Save Video to keep the trimmed version, or Save Video as New Clip to keep both versions.
Photos changes the beginning and end of the selected video. For a detailed version of Apple’s current instructions, see Apple’s guide to trimming a video on iPhone.
Split a video at a chosen point in iMovie
In an iMovie project, move the playhead to the split point. Select the video clip, tap Actions, then tap Split. You can also select the clip and swipe down over the playhead. The two sections stay in the project while you continue editing. See Apple’s iMovie instructions for splitting a clip.
Make a batch of clips in ReelClip
Import the source video from Photos or Files. For consecutive, equal-duration clips from the whole recording, choose Cut, set Space to No gap, choose the Clip amount, and check the resulting Clip duration. Tap Add to put the selection in Planned Clips. Choose Slice to select start and end times yourself. Play every planned clip and adjust any cut that interrupts a sentence or action.
Split the whole recording into equal clips
Choose No gap, set the clip count and review three consecutive sections of the same recording.
Choose a step to watch from there
This 4:14 multi-scene sample makes three clips of about 1:25. A few native frames pause for readability. Check each clip’s story and framing before posting.
This walkthrough shows an equal-clip Cut recipe and preview. It does not show a completed save to Photos. ReelClip is free to import and preview; saving or exporting your work requires Creator mode. The app prepares the video files but does not post them to TikTok, Instagram or YouTube. For a longer social workflow, see how to prepare clips from a long video for TikTok, or read the guide to splitting a recording into equal clips.
Which option should I use?
Use Photos for one quick trim, iMovie for a timeline edit with a precise split point, and ReelClip when you want to choose or batch short sections from a longer recording. Keep the original until you’ve reviewed the versions you plan to share.