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In iMovie for Mac, select the clip in the timeline, open the Speed controls, and check Reverse. The effect plays the selected clip backward at its set speed. Apple’s reviewed iMovie guides for iPhone and iPad do not document this Reverse control, so the steps below are specifically for Mac.
Reverse a clip in iMovie on Mac
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Open your project and select the clip in the timeline.
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Click the Speed button above the viewer to show the speed controls.
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Select the Reverse checkbox.
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Preview the clip and adjust its speed if needed. iMovie displays a reverse-play icon on the clip when the effect is applied.
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Apple describes the result this way: “A reverse-play icon appears on the clip, and the clip now plays in reverse, at the speed you set.” See Apple Support’s guide to changing clip speed in iMovie on Mac.
Reverse and Rewind are different effects
Use Reverse when you want the selected clip to play backward for its duration. The separate Modify > Rewind command creates a forward-reverse-forward sequence, rather than playing the clip backward from start to finish. Apple says Rewind plays the clip forward, reverses it at the chosen speed, and then plays it forward again. It also lengthens the clip and includes speed sliders for its sections. Details are in Apple Support’s guide to adding an instant replay effect in iMovie on Mac.
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Can you reverse video in iMovie on iPhone or iPad?
Apple’s reviewed mobile guides do not document a Reverse control. The iPhone guide covers selecting a clip, tapping Speed, and adjusting speed ranges, but changing playback speed is not the same as changing playback direction. The iMovie speed guide for iPhone does not provide a reverse workflow, and the iMovie User Guide for iPad does not establish a reverse command.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsOn iPhone, scrubbing lets you move manually backward or forward through footage to preview it; it is timeline navigation, not a documented reverse effect or reverse export. See Apple’s guide to navigating the iMovie timeline on iPhone.
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Cinematic clips: a speed-change limitation
If you change the speed of a Cinematic mode clip in iMovie, Apple notes that you can no longer adjust its focus in iMovie. You can still adjust its depth of field. This caveat applies to speed changes, including when using the Reverse control; see Apple’s Mac speed-control guide.
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