To start editing a video in Google Photos, open the video and tap Edit. Google described this direct entry point in a Dec. 9, 2025 announcement; it is a way into the editor, not the confirmed name of a separate feature.
Where to find the Edit button
- Open the Google Photos app.
- Open the video you want to edit.
- Tap Edit to open the video editor.
Google’s Group Product Manager for Google Photos, Nick Staubach, described the workflow this way: “Just open a video from your gallery and tap edit to get started.” Google said the redesigned editor was available on Android and iOS. Its announcement specifically said the redesigned editor became the default for individual video clips on Android; it did not establish an identical default-editor change on iOS. Google’s Dec. 9, 2025 announcement
What you can do in the video editor
The redesigned experience includes a multi-clip timeline and an adaptive canvas, with features varying by platform. On Android, Google also described templates that combine preset music, text, and cuts synchronized to a soundtrack. Google Photos Help describes additional Android editing controls:
- Trim: Shorten a clip by adjusting its start and end.
- Enhance and stabilize: Adjust a video’s appearance or reduce shakiness, where supported.
- Crop and rotate: Reframe or change the orientation of a clip.
- Effects and text: Apply available visual effects or add text.
- Speed and music: Change playback speed or add a soundtrack where the controls are available.
Google Help describes its updated editor as having “a streamlined layout and new and improved tools on the scrollable action bar.” Controls may differ by device; Google, for example, describes Audio Eraser for Pixel 8 and later and a mute option for non-Pixel devices. Google Photos Help: Edit your videos
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Google announced the redesigned editor for both Android and iOS, but the announcement does not mean every tool is available on both platforms or on every device. The specific individual-clip default-editor change was announced for Android. Google’s documented Android requirements also vary by tool:
| Feature group | Google’s stated Android requirement or limitation |
|---|---|
| Some video features, including crop, straighten, and filters | At least 1 GB RAM and Android 6.0 or later |
| Adjustments and filters | At least 3 GB RAM and Android 8.0 or later |
| Video editing on non-Pixel Android devices running Android 9 | Google Help says these devices do not support or have access to video editing |
These are Google’s published requirements, not a guarantee that every listed control will appear on every device meeting them. For the current Android-specific feature details, see Google Photos Help.
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AI video presets are a separate editing option
Google’s Android features page describes AI-powered video presets that can trim a video to focus on an interesting moment and add effects. Google lists Google Photos, at least 3 GB RAM, and Android 8 or later as requirements for those presets. The page does not establish that the presets are the same thing as the Edit button or the one-tap editor entry point. Google’s Android features page
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How this differs from older Google Photos editing news
Google Photos Community manager Rebecca V. announced an earlier video-editor rollout on Sept. 23, 2024, covering improved trim controls, Auto enhance, speed controls, and AI-powered presets on Android and iOS. That announcement is historical context, not confirmation that every feature or rollout detail remains unchanged today. Google Photos Community announcement
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