Mobile photography has become an integral part of our lives, but often the footage requires improvement. The most common user request is removing extra seconds at the beginning or end of the video, as well as changing the framing. Fortunately, modern smartphones based Android equipped with powerful built-in editors that allow you to perform these actions without installing third-party applications.
The editing process directly through the system saves time and space in the device memory. You don’t need to look for complex tools or understand professional software if the task is simple - shorten the duration or change the proportions of the frame. In this article we will look in detail at how to do this on different versions of the operating system and shells from different manufacturers. Gallery saves time and space in the device memory. You don’t need to look for complex tools or understand professional software if the task is simple - shorten the duration or change the proportions of the frame. In this article we will look in detail at how to do this on different versions of the operating system and shells from different manufacturers.
Standard editor interface in pure Android
On smartphones with a “clean” Android (for example, the Google Pixel or Motorola series) editing process as intuitive as possible. After opening a video in the Photos or Gallery application, the user just needs to click on the pencil icon or button Edit, usually located at the bottom of the screen. The interface will immediately offer the basic tools for working with the timeline.
The main control element here is the horizontal timeline located under the video. At the edges of this scale there are special sliders or markers that you can drag with your finger. By moving the left marker, you set a new starting point for playback, and the right marker determines the end point.
It is important to note that when you move the sliders, the system automatically shows a preview of the selected fragment. This allows you to select exactly the moment where you need to make crop video without missing important details of the plot. After you have decided on the boundaries, you need to click the save button.
⚠️ Attention: In some firmware versions, when saving changes, the system may offer two options: “Save a copy” or “Replace the original.” Always choose to create a copy so as not to lose the original material in case of a trimming error.
Before you start editing, make sure that you have enough free memory on your device, since saving a new version of the video requires temporary space equal to the size of the original file.
Features of working in the Samsung One shell UI
Owners of devices from the company Samsung work in an environment One UIthat offers advanced functionality even in the basic editor. To get started, open a video in the Gallery and tap the pencil icon at the bottom of the screen. Here the interface is divided into several tabs, one of which is dedicated to trimming the duration.
The user will see a timeline with a clear division into frames. You can not just sliders, but also use the + and - buttons to fine-tune the duration in steps of a fraction of a second. This is especially useful when you need to synchronize a video with music or remove a specific bad moment.
In addition to trimming by time, interface Samsung allows you to immediately change the aspect ratio. By clicking on the cropping icon (a square with arrows), you can select 16:9, 9:16 for stories, 1:1 for social networks or 4:3 formats. The system will automatically adjust the visibility area to the selected format.
The work is completed through the save menu, where you can also select the export quality. If you plan to send a video via messenger, you can select the option to reduce the file size, which will speed up data transfer.
Editing on Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones (MIUI/HyperOS)
Shells MIUI and new HyperOS from the company Xiaomi offer their unique approach to multimedia editing. In the standard Gallery application, the edit button is often hidden in the More menu or indicated by a settings icon, depending on the firmware version.
After entering edit mode, you will see a timeline similar to other systems, but with the additional ability to add transition effects between trimmed parts if the video was previously stitched together. For simple trimming, just pull the yellow markers at the ends of the track.
One of the key features is the Smart croppingfunction. The system's algorithms may offer automatic cropping of excess black fields or image stabilization when changing aspect ratios. This is convenient if the original video was shot unevenly.
| Function | Access in MIUI 13 | Access in HyperOS | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time cropping | Yes | Yes | Frame accuracy |
| Change of proportions | Yes | Yes | Presets for social networks |
| Save a copy | Automatic | User selection | Original protection |
| Export to 4K | Limited | Full support | Depends on model |
⚠️ Attention: On older Xiaomi smartphones with less than 4 GB of RAM, the process of saving a long video in high resolution may take several minutes. Do not close the application at this time.
☑️ Preparing for editing on Xiaomi
Fine-tuning cropping and proportions
Often the user needs not just to shorten the video, but to change its geometry. For example, turn a horizontal video into a vertical one for publication in TikTok or Instagram Reels. In most built-in editors, this function is called “Crop” or “Crop”.
When this mode is activated, a frame with fixed proportions is superimposed on top of the video. You can move this frame around the image, selecting the part of the frame that you want to remain visible. Anything outside the frame will be cropped when saving.
Some advanced implementations allow you to rotate the crop area or apply a mirror image. This is useful if text on clothing or signs in the frame is not displayed correctly. Use the tool Rotate to correct the orientation before final cropping.
What should you do if the quality has dropped after cropping?
If you zoom too much inside the crop frame, the video quality may decrease due to pixel interpolation. Try not to zoom in too much unless the source was shot in 4K.
Remember that changing the aspect ratio from 16:9 to 9:16 inevitably results in losing some of the image on the sides. Think about the composition of the frame in advance so that important objects do not end up outside the new visible area.
Saving the result and managing files
The final stage of work is saving the changes. It's important to understand the difference between overwriting a file and creating a new one. Modern systems by default tend to preserve the original, creating a file with the suffix "_edited" or similar in the name.
If you want to replace the original file, so as not to take up extra space, you need to manually select the replacement option or delete the original after checking the copy. Be careful: the replacement process is irreversible without a backup copy in the cloud.
It is also worth paying attention to the saving format. Standard for Android is MP4 container with the H.264 or H.265 codec. Gallery editors usually do not allow you to change the codec, but may offer a choice of bitrate or output resolution.
⚠️ Attention: Interfaces and menu names may differ depending on the version of Android and the manufacturer's custom shell. If you do not find the described button, look for it in the “Advanced” section or update the Gallery application through the service store.
Always check the cropping result before deleting the original. Play the new file from start to finish to make sure there are no artifacts or missing important points.
Common problems and solutions
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the save button is inactive or the video does not play after editing. Most often this is due to corruption of the source file or incompatibility of codecs if the video was downloaded from a third-party source.
If the editor crashes when trying to process a long video, try clearing the Gallery application cache. To do this, go to Settings → Applications → Gallery → Storage → Clear cache. This will not delete your photos, but will reset the app's temporary files.
In cases where the built-in tools fail to trim the video due to the file format (for example, MKV or AVI), the system may offer to convert the video before editing. Agree to the conversion, but keep in mind that it will take additional time.
To solve complex problems that require high precision or working with an audio track, it is better to use specialized applications from the store Google Play. However, for 90% of everyday tasks, the capabilities of the standard Gallery are more than enough.
Is it possible to restore the original video after trimming and saving?
If you selected the “Save as a copy” option, the original remains intact in the gallery. If you overwritten the file, you can only restore it through the trash (if you have one in your gallery) or from a backup copy in a cloud service such as Google Photos.
Why does the video take up more space after trimming?
Sometimes when saving a copy, the system does not optimize compression as effectively as when shooting, or saves the video at a higher bitrate for saving quality. Metadata of the original may also be preserved.
Does the Gallery support trimming 4K videos?
Yes, most modern smartphones support video editing in 4K resolution. However, on budget models this process can be slow, and the preview can be slow.
How to trim a video if the edit button is gray?
This may mean that the file is write-protected, located on an external SD card with access restrictions, or the file format is not supported by the built-in editor. Try copying the file to the internal memory.