No matter what you do—be it repurposing YouTube videos as Shorts, TikToks and Reels, or editing longer videos, trimming is often a necessary part of the job. It helps you keep videos concise, engaging, and free of awkward pauses because when you focus on the most impactful moments, you create tighter, more compelling content.

This guide will show you how to trim videos on Windows and Mac computers, Android and iOS devices, and even online.

Tip: Before we begin: you can download any YouTube video before trimming if you no longer have it on your device. How? Use 4K Video Downloader Plus —a desktop solution that can save YouTube videos, convert them to audio, download YouTube playlists, channels, private videos, members-only clips, and even search results!

How to Trim a Video on a Windows PC with the Photos App

Let’s start with the solution for Windows users. You can trim a video on a Windows PC by using the built-in Photos app, which makes the process straightforward. Here’s how:

Open the Photos app from the Start menu on your desktop.
Find and open the video you want to edit.
Click the Video Trim button in the top menu.

On the video timeline, you'll see white pins on both ends. Drag these pins to define the start and end points of the footage you want to keep. Use the blue pin to preview and ensure you’re trimming the right section.

Once you're satisfied, click the 'Save a copy' button in the top-right corner to save the trimmed video. The original file will remain intact.

How to Trim a Video on Windows 10 Using VLC

Another way to trim a video is using the VLC Player. This is a versatile tool that supports a wide range of audio and video formats. But its functionality isn’t limited to just playing files. Beyond that, it offers essential editing features such as cropping, converting, merging, and rotating. Here’s how to trim a video using VLC:

If you haven't already, download and install VLC Media Player on your computer.
Launch VLC and go to Media > Open File to import the video you want to trim.
To enable additional editing tools, go to the View menu and select Advanced Controls.
Play the video and navigate to the starting point of the segment you want to keep, then pause the video. Click the Record button, followed by the Play button to start recording the desired segment.
When you reach the end of the segment, click the Record button again to stop recording. The trimmed video will be saved as an MP4 file in your Libraries/Videos folder.

This process also works for trimming videos with VLC on a Mac.

How to Trim a Video on a Mac or iOS Device with iMovie

iMovie, pre-installed on macOS computers, is a user-friendly tool for trimming videos. Here's how to trim a video using iMovie on your Mac:

Open the iMovie app on your Mac.
Click on File and then Import Media to upload the video you want to trim, or simply drag and drop the video into the editing panel.
The video timeline will appear in the editing panel. Use the white vertical line (playhead) to scrub through the video and locate the points you want to edit. Press the Space bar to play or pause the video.
Trim the Video:

To shorten the video, drag the edges of the timeline.
To trim a section in the middle, position the white line at the desired point, and either click the scissors icon in the bottom left corner or press Command (⌘) + B to split the video into two parts.
Select the unwanted section and press the Delete key.

Press the Space bar to review the trimmed video. If you're satisfied with the edits, save the video.

Trimming a Video in iMovie on iOS

Trimming a video in iMovie on an iPhone or iPad is straightforward. Here's how:

Open the iMovie app on your iOS device.
Tap on Start New Project and choose the Movie option. Select the video you want to edit from your camera roll and upload it to the app.
The video will appear in the timeline. Tap the timeline, and sliders will appear at both ends of the video. Drag these sliders to define the portion of the video you want to keep.
Tap Done to finish trimming.
Preview your new video and decide whether to save it or continue editing. Use the share button to send the video to others if needed.

Trimming a Video on Mac with QuickTime Player

QuickTime Player, the native video editing tool on macOS, also makes trimming videos easy. Here’s how:

Launch the QuickTime Player app on your Mac and open the video you want to trim.
Go to the Edit menu and choose Trim.
A yellow trimming bar will appear at the bottom of your video. Drag the handles on the bar to set the start and end points. The sections outside the yellow handles will be removed.

Once you're satisfied with the selection, click the Trim button to complete the edit.

How to Trim a Video on Android Devices

Trimming a video on an Android device is simple using the pre-installed Gallery app. Here's how to do it:

Launch the Google Gallery app on your Android device, where you can view your photos and videos.
Locate and tap on the video you want to trim.
Tap the pen icon labeled ‘Edit’ at the bottom of your screen.
Handles will appear at the beginning and end of the video timeline. Drag these handles inward to trim the video to the desired section.
Tap the play button in the middle of the video to review the trimmed footage and ensure it meets your expectations.
Tap ‘Save copy’ in the top-right corner to save the trimmed version of your video. The original video will remain on your device unless you choose to delete it.

Bonus: How to Trim a YouTube Video with AI

In 2024 and beyond, AI has solidly infiltrated our lives, our creativity included (and probably, more than other parts). Which means that you can surely use artificial intelligence to trim and crop any YouTube video, and we’re about to show you how.

Open YouTube and find a video you want to crop.
Copy the video URL.
Open the AI Video Cut website.
Paste the copied video link in the dedicated form field.

AI Video Cut uses AI-powered prompts that make a long video shorter. As of writing, there are two prompts available: Trailer and Topics-Clips. Choose the one that suits you best.

Choose the duration of your short video and its aspect ratio.

Press Submit. The results will appear right on this page and will also be sent to your email.

What’s the Difference Between Trimming and Cropping Videos?

In video editing, various techniques serve specific purposes to enhance your content, with trimming and cropping being two commonly used methods. Although they might seem similar, they serve different functions and should not be confused.

Trimming involves cutting off portions from the beginning and/or end of a video clip. The goal of trimming is to shorten the video, making the introduction and conclusion quicker and more engaging. By focusing only on the essential content, trimming helps maintain the audience's attention and improves the video's pacing by removing unnecessary footage.

Cropping, on the other hand, focuses on removing unwanted parts from around the edges of the video frame. This technique is used to eliminate black bars, distracting backgrounds, or other unwanted elements, effectively zooming in on the main subject. Cropping enhances the visual composition by centering the subject, thereby improving the overall presentation of the video without affecting its pacing.