How to Trim, Split and Reorder Clips in Edits

Open Edits, go to Projects, start a new project and import two or three clips. They land on the timeline in the order you picked them. The vertical line in the middle is the playhead: it marks the exact frame you're looking at, and every edit happens where it sits. Pinch on the timeline to zoom in for fine work and zoom out to see the whole Reel.

Tap a clip to select it. A selected clip shows handles at both ends and a toolbar of actions underneath, which is where trim, split and the other commands live. If you're brand new to the app, the getting started guide covers importing in more detail, and create your first Reel walks through a whole project.

Trimming shortens a clip from its start or end without touching the middle. It's how you remove the second before you started talking and the moment you reached for the stop button.

1. Tap the clip on the timeline so its edge handles appear.
2. Drag the left handle to the right to cut the start, or the right handle to the left to cut the end. The preview updates as you drag.
3. Release when the frame looks right. The clips after it slide up to close the gap.

Trimming is non-destructive: the hidden frames are still there, so dragging the handle back out restores them. If a trim feels too coarse, zoom in on the timeline first and the same drag moves fewer frames.

Splitting cuts a clip at the playhead into two independent pieces. Use it to remove a mistake from the middle of a take, to insert something between two moments, or to apply a different effect or speed to half a clip.

1. Scrub the playhead to the exact frame where you want the cut. Zoom in for precision.
2. Tap the clip to select it.
3. Tap Split in the toolbar. The clip becomes two clips with a cut at the playhead.

To remove a section from the middle of a take, split at the start of the bad part, split again at the end, select the piece between the two cuts and delete it. The clips either side close up and the cut is seamless if both sides match.

The order you imported clips in is rarely the order that tells the story best. Reordering moves a whole clip to a new position on the timeline.

1. Press and hold the clip you want to move until it lifts off the timeline.
2. Drag it left or right. The other clips shuffle apart to show where it will land.
3. Let go to drop it. Playback now follows the new order.

A useful habit: put your strongest shot first, because Reels retention is decided in the opening second. Splitting a long clip and moving the best moment to the front is often the single biggest improvement you can make. Our Reels guide has more on hooks.

• Zoom before you cut. Pinch out on the timeline until one second fills a good width of the screen; every drag and split is then frame-accurate.
• Cut on the beat. Add your music first, then split clips where the waveform peaks. The music and audio tutorial shows how to read the waveform.
• Cut on movement. Splitting during a motion, such as a hand reaching or a head turning, hides the cut better than splitting on a still frame.
• Use transitions sparingly. A plain cut is usually right. When you do want one, the transitions tutorial covers the options.
• Lock finished clips. Once a section is right, the clip-lock option stops you dragging it by accident while you work on the rest. See what's new in Edits for recent additions like this.

Mistake	What happens	Fix
Splitting with nothing selected	Split is greyed out or does nothing	Tap the clip first, then Split
Trimming while zoomed out	The cut lands several frames off	Pinch to zoom in, then drag the handle
Deleting instead of trimming	You lose the whole clip, not the dead air	Drag the edge handle; undo if you already deleted
Dropping a clip mid-drag	It lands in the wrong slot	Keep holding until the gap opens where you want it
Cutting the audio out of sync	Voice no longer matches lips after a reorder	Keep the clip's own audio attached, or re-sync in the audio tools

If something looks wrong after an export rather than in the editor, start with export failed or blurry export. Missing a project altogether? See missing drafts.