You've just captured the perfect iPhone video in the park—or so you thought until you spotted that distracting detail in the background.

You know the culprit: a stranger doing odd stretches, an unexpected photobomber, or just visual clutter stealing focus from your subject. Before you delete and start over, there's a simpler fix with video editing tools.

Cropping lets you zoom in on exactly what matters in your frame, eliminating distractions while preserving the good stuff. It's not just for fixing awkward backgrounds—it's also a powerful tool for creating focused scene transitions and telling more intentional visual stories.

Your iPhone already has two free, built-in ways to crop videos. For more editing control, there's also a third option using Descript—which happens to be us, but we wouldn't mention it if it wasn't genuinely useful.

New iOS updates for enhanced video cropping

Recent iOS releases have improved the Photos app, making it easier than ever to crop your video without messing up the overall quality. These updated features work seamlessly with the advanced cameras on later iPhone models, such as the iPhone 14 Pro, to produce sharper video footage suitable for more precise crops. Newer iOS versions also include refined editing tools that let you adjust exposure, balance colors, and control speed settings alongside cropping adjustments. According to Apple’s official guidance, these changes aim to make on-device editing more intuitive and reduce the need for third-party tools. If you keep your phone’s software current, you’ll get the best results when you need to remove distractions or refocus your shot. Finally, because each iOS update can improve device compatibility, don’t forget to tap into these hidden gems by heading to your iPhone’s settings and keeping things up to date.

Built-in ways to crop a video on iPhone

Multiple options come baked into the Photos app, depending on how you want to crop your video on iPhone. While they won't match the power of the best video editing software out there, they're still great for adjusting your clips on the fly without sacrificing quality.

The following sections will walk you through how to crop videos on an iPhone using the Photos app and iMovie with just a few taps.

How to crop a video on iPhone with the Photos app

Apple Photos app is a native tool found on iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices designed for finding and viewing your photos and videos. You can trim, slow-mo, rotate, and crop a video in the Photos app (iOS 13 or later) in a few easy steps without losing video quality. Here's how to crop a video on iPhone using Photos:

Step 1. Open the Photos app and tap the “Edit” button

Tap the Photos app to open it, then navigate to and select the thumbnail of the video file you want to crop.

Next, tap Edit at the top right corner of the screen.

Step 2. Click on the crop icon

Tap the Crop tool at the bottom of the screen.

There are two primary video cropping options on an iPhone:

• Crop manually: Selecting this option allows you to drag the edges of the video to enclose the area you want to focus on in your video. Alternatively, you can pinch the video open or closed.
• Crop to a preset ratio: You can also crop your video to a particular aspect ratio using standard preset options, like square, 5:4, or 16:9.

If you want to revert to the original video dimensions at any point, just tap More > Revert to Original.

Step 3. Adjust rotation and crop your video

Use the rotate or flip icons to make further adjustments and crop your video. For example, you can rotate your video 90 degrees, flip it horizontally or vertically, or use the straightening feature to adjust the angle of your video for perfect alignment.

Step 4. Apply filters and save

With the desired area in focus, it's time to add some magic to your video. Photos app comes with a variety of filters, like dramatic, vivid, silvertone, or mono. For best results when sharing on social media, choose a filter that enhances your video while maintaining its original quality.

Tap the Filters icon, then use the slider bars to adjust the filter's intensity.

Tap Done in the bottom right corner to save your edits. You'll find the cropped video in your iPhone's camera roll. For highest quality results, make sure to export at the original resolution.

If you don't like the result, tap Cancel > Discard Changes.

How to crop a video on iPhone with iMovie

iMovie is a free video editing app for Apple devices designed for creating memorable, cinema-quality videos that will impress and engage your audience. You can easily edit videos on the fly to crop the portion you want, then add music, titles, captions, transitions, and other effects for stunning results.

Step 1. Install the iMovie app

Download iMovie from the App Store and install it on your iPhone.

Step 2. Create a new project

Tap iMovie to open it, then tap Start new project.

Select Movie to create a new project.

Tap the checkbox next to the video clip you want to crop, and tap Create movie to upload it to the iMovie editor.

Step 3. Position, resize, and crop your video

Technically, there's no dedicated cropping feature in iMovie. Instead, you'll need to pinch and zoom to get your desired result. Tap the video in the iMovie timeline. A yellow highlight will appear around the clip indicating it's in editing mode. For best results, try to maintain the original aspect ratio when possible to avoid quality loss.

Next, tap the Zoom tool (looks like a magnifying glass) at the top right side of the screen. Then, pinch-zoom in or out to crop the video to your desired result.

Step 4. Export your cropped video

Tap Done and preview your cropped video. If you like the result, save your video or tap Share to export it to your preferred destination. For optimal quality, select the highest resolution option when exporting.

Choosing the right aspect ratio for each platform

One key to getting your iPhone video noticed on social media is matching the aspect ratio to the platform’s preferences. Harvard referencing might not help you here, but a quick rule of thumb does: 9:16 for TikTok and Instagram Reels, 16:9 for YouTube. According to industry recommendations, aligning your final crop to a platform’s standard dimensions ensures you won’t lose any important visual elements when viewers watch your content. This also means you can avoid those awkward black bars on the top or sides of the screen. And if you need to quickly switch between aspect ratios, your iPhone’s built-in Photos app and other tools like iMovie handle these changes on the fly, saving you the trouble of jumping between multiple editing programs.

How to crop a video on iPhone using Descript

Descript is an all-in-one audio and video editing hub that offers a simple, user-friendly editor with a wide range of features for creating, editing, and cropping videos in seconds.

You can easily upload a video recorded on your iPhone and crop it with Descript. Then, edit with features like green screen, color balance, transitions, and overlays to spruce up your video for social media. Unlike some online tools, Descript preserves your video's quality throughout the editing process.

Here's how to crop a video in Descript.

Step 1. Upload or record a video.

Download and install Descript on your Windows or Mac computer — or just use the browser version. Launch the app then select New > Video project.

You can record a new video or upload a pre-recorded one by dragging it into the editor. If you use iCloud, you can find all of the photos on your device by heading to iCloud.com and signing in.

Step 2. Crop and adjust your video.

Select the Crop tool or right-click your video file and click Crop.

Click Done to save your changes.

Select the Aspect ratio icon and choose a setting from one of the preset options (Square, Portrait, or Landscape) or manually adjust the crop frame.

You can also select a custom dimension, video resolution, and frame rate for your cropped video under Advanced options. For social media platforms like Instagram, a 1:1 square ratio works well, while TikTok and Instagram Stories perform better with 9:16 portrait orientation.

Step 3. Enhance your video with effects, transitions, or music.

Next, enhance your video content with the many video editing techniques available in Descript. For example, you can add text overlays, transitions between clips, background music, or use AI features to improve your video quality without sacrificing the original resolution.

• Trim out parts of the video to shorten it or focus on key elements.
• Rearrange the flow and adjust the color balance.
• Add or change the background of your video.
• Add royalty free background music and text overlays.
• Use AI Voices to generate voiceovers or dubbing.

Step 4. Save, export, or publish your video.

Click Publish to export the clip to your destination folder on your computer or publish the clip directly to YouTube or Wistia.

Professional options for cropping iPhone videos

iMovie, Photos, and other third-party apps for iOS devices make decent video editors for beginners. However, if you want to crop and edit videos like a pro while maintaining quality, you'll need a dedicated video editing app. Online tools like Kapwing and Clideo can also be useful alternatives for quick edits when you're on the go.

There's a lot more you can do in Descript, besides using its video cropper. The software also offers AI features, with which you can:

• Generate human-like speech and edit audio.
• Add chapter markers to your YouTube videos.
• Get short promotional copy for social media posts.
• Generate compelling YouTube descriptions or scripts and podcast show notes.

You can use Descript for free and enjoy its automatic transcription and text-based editing tools, making it useful for all your content creation needs.

Take a free tour today and see why thousands of marketers rely on Descript to create world-class marketing videos.

How to crop video on iPhone FAQs

How do I make a video smaller on my iPhone?

You can make a video smaller on an iPhone using a third-party app. For best results, use Descript's online video compressor.

1. Upload the video you want to compress
2. Choose a compression method and file type
3. Download the compressed video file

How do I crop videos on iPhone without losing quality?

To crop a video and still keep the same high quality, you'll need a tool like Descript. The editing tool crops and resizes your video while maintaining the original video's quality and aspect ratio. When possible, use the original aspect ratio to minimize quality loss, and always export in the highest quality setting available.

What is the best app to trim and crop videos on iPhone?

Descript is the best app to crop and trim videos. Simply upload your video or record a new clip, select the cropping tool, and adjust your video's aspect ratio and dimensions in seconds. Then export or publish to YouTube or Wistia.

How do I straighten a crooked video on my iPhone?

You can straighten your footage after you record it using the Crop-Rotate tool in the Photos app. According to Apple's guide, simply open the video, tap Edit, and use the slider to adjust the angle. Make small tweaks until your shot looks aligned, then tap Done to save the changes. This prevents your viewers from getting seasick while watching your content.

What's the best aspect ratio for TikTok vs. YouTube?

TikTok typically favors a vertical 9:16 format, while YouTube is best viewed at 16:9. By following platform-specific guidelines, you can ensure your videos appear without black bars or awkward cropping. For TikTok, recording in portrait mode matches this ratio automatically, while YouTube suits horizontal clips. Crop or rotate your video in the Photos app or iMovie to fit each platform, and you’ll deliver crisp, professional-looking results.