MotionShineShort answer: for a quick cut, open the video in Photos or QuickTime Player and trim the start and end. For a real edit with several clips, open iMovie, add your clips to the timeline, trim and split them, then export with File, Share, File. All three are made by Apple and free. If the video is a screen recording, an editor built for screen recordings will save you time, and a section on that is further down.
The steps below come from Apple Support pages read on 23 October 2026. Menus can change with an update, so if a name differs on your Mac, look for the closest one.
Which Apple app should you use?
| Job | Photos | QuickTime Player | iMovie |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cut the start and end | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cut a piece out of the middle | Not listed on Apple's page | Split into clips, per Apple's guide | Yes, split a clip |
| Put several clips in order | Not listed on Apple's page | Yes, Apple lists rearranging | Yes |
| Titles, music, voice over | Not listed on Apple's page | Not listed | Apple's guide has topics for titles, music and a voiceover |
| Best for | A clip already in your library | A fast trim of one file | A video made of several parts |
A "not listed" cell means Apple's page does not list it, not that it is impossible.
Edit a video in Photos
Photos is the right place if the video is already in your Photos library, such as one from your iPhone.
- Open Photos and double-click the video, then click Edit in the toolbar.
- Click Adjust in the toolbar.
- Drag the trim handles at either end of the video to shorten it.
Apple's page says trimming does not delete footage, so you can drag the handles back or click Revert to Original to remove all edits. In the same Edit view you can change light and color, add a filter, crop and straighten. Apple's page says the changes apply to the whole video, not one part. For slow-motion footage there are bars to change where the slowdown starts and ends.
To pick the frame that stands for the video, drag the playhead to a frame and choose Image, then Make Poster Frame.
Keep Photos if the video is already there and you only need a shorter one.
Edit a video in QuickTime Player
QuickTime Player opens a video file from anywhere on your Mac. Apple's User Guide says it lets you trim, rearrange and rotate.
To trim a movie:
- Open the video in QuickTime Player and choose Edit, then Trim.
- Drag the yellow handles on the trimming bar. Anything outside the handles is removed.
- Click Trim.
Apple adds a tip: click and hold a handle to see individual frames, for a more exact cut.
If the movie is split into clips, choose View, then Show Clips, double-click the clip you want, drag the yellow handles around the part you want to keep and click Trim.
For a screen recording, how to edit a screen recording on Mac goes through these steps with the extra jobs that come up, such as zooms and captions.
Keep QuickTime Player if you have one file and want to trim it in ten seconds.
Edit a video in iMovie
iMovie is the one to use for a video made of several clips. Apple's Mac App Store listing says it is free. It lists titles and transitions, picture-in-picture and green-screen effects, soundtracks and narration, and editing at up to 4K resolution on compatible Macs.
A note on requirements: the listing gives its macOS requirement twice, as macOS 26.4 or later in one place and 26.6 or later in another. Check the listing on your own Mac before you plan around it. The Apple page also lists a 3.6 GB app size.
Trim a clip
Apple's steps for the timeline:
- Scroll the timeline to the clip.
- Zoom in with View, then Zoom In, Command-plus, or a trackpad pinch.
- Hover over the start or end of the clip until the clip trim tool appears, then drag outward to lengthen or inward to shorten it.
For frame-level precision, select the clip and choose Window, then Show Clip Trimmer.
Split a clip
- Scroll the timeline so the playhead, the white line, sits where you want the cut.
- Choose Modify, then Split Clip, or press Command-B.
Apple says you can then add a cross-dissolve or another transition between the two new clips.
Reorder clips
Click a clip in the timeline and drag it left to make it play earlier or right to make it play later. To move several at once, Command-click each one or Shift-click them, then drag the group.
Titles, music and voice over
Apple's iMovie guide has separate pages for adding titles, adding music and sound clips and recording a voiceover. The index lists the topics but the steps are on those pages, so open them in the iMovie Help menu when you reach that part.
Export the video
Apple's page says you can export one item at a time.
- Select the movie in the browser.
- Choose File, then Share, then File.
- Choose an output format, a resolution and a quality preset.
- Click Next, name the file, choose a place and click Save.
Apple says that when the export finishes, the movie opens in QuickTime Player. If you get a .mov and a site wants MP4, the free MOV to MP4 converter runs in your browser. If the file is too big to send, use the video compressor, and how to compress a video on Mac explains what the sizes mean.
Keep iMovie if you are new to editing and want titles, music and several clips in one free app.
A beginner's order of work
Editing goes faster in the same order every time.
- Pick the clips you need. Remove the obvious bad takes first.
- Trim the start and end of each one. Most videos start too early.
- Put the clips in order. Drag them on the timeline.
- Cut the dull parts. Split, then delete what you do not need.
- Add sound. Music or a voice over, kept quieter than speech.
- Add titles last. Short, large, readable.
- Export and watch it once from start to finish. Mistakes show up in the last watch.
Video editing tips for screen recordings has more on pace and cuts, and best video editing software for Mac compares paid and free editors with prices.
If your video is a screen recording
The Apple apps edit a screen recording like any other video. They do not add a zoom on the spot you click or restyle the cursor, because Apple's pages for these apps do not list those effects.
That is the job MotionShine does, and we make it. It is a free Mac screen recorder: the editor opens after you stop with a zoom on every click and a smooth cursor already in place, and you can add text, pictures, music and a voice over. The free version exports up to 720p at 30 fps with no watermark and no time limit. Pro unlocks 1080p, 1440p, 4K and 60 fps. It is Mac only and needs macOS 13 or later.
It is not the right tool for a family video from your phone. For that, use Photos or iMovie.
Free browser tools for small fixes
These run in your browser, and the file stays on your computer:
- Video trimmer to cut the start and end.
- Crop video to remove bars or change the shape.
- MOV to MP4 when a site does not take .mov.
FAQ
What is the best free video editor for Mac?
For beginners, iMovie, which Apple lists as free. For trimming one file, QuickTime Player. For a screen recording, MotionShine is a free recorder with an editor.
How do I trim a video on a Mac?
Open it in QuickTime Player, choose Edit, then Trim, drag the yellow handles and click Trim. In Photos, click Edit, then Adjust, and drag the trim handles.
How do I cut a video in half on Mac?
In iMovie, put the playhead where you want the cut and choose Modify, then Split Clip, or press Command-B. You then have two clips.
How do I combine videos on a Mac?
Add the clips to one iMovie project and drag them into the order you want on the timeline. Then export the project as a file.
Can I edit a video on a Mac without iMovie?
Yes. Photos and QuickTime Player both trim video. For more, see the best video editing software for Mac.
How do I save an edited video on a Mac?
In iMovie, choose File, then Share, then File, set the format, resolution and quality, and save. For a trim in QuickTime Player, Apple's page does not describe the save step, so use File and look for Save or Export in the menu.
