How to edit videos on a Chromebook

Step by step

1. Open the editor in ChromeGo to the editor and sign up for a free account. Nothing is installed: no Linux app, no Android app and no extension.
2. Add your clipsDrag videos, photos and music from the Files app into the Media tab, or click to choose them. Any folder the Files app can open works, including Downloads.
3. Trim and arrangeDrag a clip’s edges on the timeline to trim it. Move the playhead and press S to split a clip. Select a piece and press Backspace to delete it, or Shift+Backspace to delete it and close the gap.
4. Add text and musicOpen the Text tab, click a style and type your words. Add a song (MP3, WAV or M4A) to the Media tab, place it under the video and lower its volume so the voice stays clear.
5. Choose the shapeClick an empty part of the timeline and pick a format in the right-hand panel: 16:9 for YouTube and school projects, 9:16 for TikTok, Reels and Shorts.
6. ExportClick Export, choose a resolution and start. The export runs on the Chromebook itself, and the MP4 downloads to your device, normally into the Downloads folder.

Can you edit videos on a Chromebook?

Yes. A Chromebook cannot install video editing software made for Windows or macOS, but it has several other ways to edit. Which ones are available depends on the model, the ChromeOS version and, on a school or work device, what the administrator allows.

• Built-in tools. Recent versions of ChromeOS include basic video editing in the Google Photos app. It is intended for simple jobs such as trimming and joining clips, and its features differ between models.
• Android apps. Many Chromebooks can install phone editing apps from the Play Store. These apps are designed for touch screens, and some schools and workplaces turn the Play Store off.
• Linux apps. Some Chromebooks can turn on a Linux environment and install desktop editors there. This needs setup, free storage and a fast processor.
• Browser editors. A video editor that runs as a website needs nothing installed and opens in an up-to-date Chrome browser. This guide uses that method.

What a browser video editor can do on a Chromebook

CutLuma is a full editor that runs inside a Chrome tab, so it works on a Chromebook the same way it does on a Windows or Mac laptop. There is more detail on the Chromebook video editor page.

• Cut and join clips. A timeline with several tracks, trim, split, snapping and undo. See how to merge videos.
• Text and titles. Text styles with animations, fonts, outlines and background boxes. Typing text is free.
• Music and sound. Your own songs or free tracks from the stock library, with volume, fades and noise reduction for each clip.
• Speed, crop and transitions. Change the speed from 0.1× to 100×, crop or flip the picture, and add transitions between clips.
• Green screen and background removal. Both run in the browser on the Chromebook’s own processor, so they are slower on low-cost models.
• Templates. Start from a designed template and change the words, photos and colours.
• Automatic saving. The project saves to your cloud library as you work, so you can continue on another computer.

Record your screen and camera on a Chromebook

Chrome on a Chromebook can capture the screen, so the screen recorder works without an extension. Open the Record tab, choose Studio recording, and select a tab, a window or the entire screen. Your camera appears as a round bubble and your microphone records your voice.

When you press Stop, the recording is placed on the timeline with automatic zoom on the places you click and with silent pauses removed. Both are free, and both can be undone. This is useful for school presentations, lessons and software demonstrations. On a managed Chromebook the administrator can turn screen capture off, and then the recorder cannot start. The full method is in how to record your screen with your webcam.

Make editing smooth on a low-power Chromebook

Editing and exporting use the Chromebook’s own processor and memory. Low-cost and older models can still edit video, but they need more care.

• Close other tabs and apps. The editor then has more memory to work with.
• Keep Chrome up to date. The browser’s video features improve with new versions.
• Work in short projects. A two-minute video is easier for the device than a thirty-minute one.
• Export at 720p when 1080p is slow. The export dialog offers 480p, 720p and 1080p on the free plan.
• Keep the tab open during the export. The export stops if you close the tab, so connect the charger and wait until the file has downloaded.
• Stay online. Your media files and your project are saved to your cloud library, so the editor needs an internet connection.

What is free and what needs a paid plan

A free account includes the editor, the templates, the screen recorder and exports in Full HD (1080p) with a small watermark. Paid plans remove the watermark, add 60 fps and a higher quality setting, and add 4K on Pro and Business. A 4K export takes a long time on a low-cost Chromebook.

AI features, such as automatic captions and AI voiceover, are part of the paid plans. Typing your own text and subtitles is always free. If you make videos for a class, the video editor for teachers page has more ideas.

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