Phone videos often include the wrong start, a long pause or an ending you do not want to share. Trimming keeps just the section that matters and also makes the file smaller.
What trimming does
You pick a start time and an end time. The tool saves the part in between as a new video. Your original stays as it was, so you can try again.
Steps
- Open the Trim Video tool.
- Add your video.
- Type the start and end times.
- Choose the fast mode or the frame-accurate mode.
- Press Cut video and download it.
The work runs on your device, so your video is not uploaded. That matters for family clips and private recordings.
Fast mode or frame-accurate
- Fast mode copies the video without re-encoding. It is quick and keeps the original quality, but the cut may start a moment early because it snaps to the nearest keyframe.
- Frame-accurate mode re-encodes the video so the cut is exact. It takes longer.
If a half-second difference does not matter, use fast mode. If you need a precise start, such as the exact moment of a goal, choose frame-accurate.
Typing times
Use seconds, such as 45, or minutes and seconds, such as 2:15. Play the video in any player first and write down where the section begins and ends. Give yourself a little extra at each end so you do not cut off the action.
Getting the size down
A shorter clip is already smaller, but it may still be too big for chat apps or email. Run the trimmed video through the Compress Video tool afterwards. Our guide on compressing video for email and WhatsApp explains the settings. Check the app’s current limit in its own help page.
Related jobs
- Remove the sound: use Mute Video.
- Keep only the audio: use Extract Audio from Video.
- Make a looping clip: use Video to GIF.
- Join clips: use Merge Videos.
Tips
- Trim first, then compress. Doing it in this order means you compress less footage.
- Watch the final clip all the way through before you send it.
- Keep the original until you are sure the new file is right.
- Large videos can be slow on an old phone. A computer is faster.
Privacy reminder
Before posting a clip publicly, think about who and what appears in it, including licence plates, school logos and house numbers.