Google Photos makes custom highlight reels with new video editor

Google Photos is rolling out a redesigned video editor with Material 3 Expressive elements on iOS and Android. The new-look editor supports both multi-clip editing and individual video editing, complete with a universal timeline. There’s a carousel that features eight tools with more granular editing options only a tap away. The upgraded Google Photos editor is widely available on Android following a server-side push.

The fresh video editing interface includes a main video preview that takes up most of the screen, whereas the video timeline and editing toolbar are smaller. Above the video preview, Google Photos users will find an X button that exits the video editor without saving changes. On the opposite side, there’s a Save button to save the clip with your changes. Users will see a Material 3 Expressive squiggly progress bar while the video is being saved.

Below the video preview, Google Photos users will find a play/pause button beside an export button that saves a specific frame as an individual photo. The redesign also features a compact video timeline underneath with a scrubbing tool and handles for trimming clips. Then, you have the carousel toolbar with Auto, Crop, Adjust, Filters, Audio, Speed, Music, and Text options.

The multi-clip editor works with “highlight videos,” which are custom video templates that add text, music, and cuts to a selection of photo and video clips. The visual redesign includes an “adaptive canvas” that adjusts as you move photo and video clips around. You can add new clips on the lefthand side and rearrange existing clips by holding and dragging them.

Google Photos’ new video editor is rolling out today, December 9, in the iOS and Android apps. Users can try the refreshed UI by expanding a video and tapping the Edit button. Highlight videos are available in the Create tab of the Photos app.