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Google Photos’ built-in movie editor updated w/ redesigned UI, advanced tools [Gallery]

Google Photos for Android is rolling out new movie editing tools today that are centered around the concept of simultaneously manipulating multiple clips. With a simplified design, it also gains more advanced editing options that make for a powerful mobile experience.

This redesigned interface is only for creations, with editing standard video clips shot on a phone still surfacing the older, simpler UI for basic trimming.

Users might first encounter (via Android Police) the “new editor,” when editing an existing Movie creation with a prompt “to update your movie.” Here, Google notes that “themes are no longer supported” and that “you’ll lose any effects you may have.”

The upside to the removal of these visual filters are more advanced editing tools that switch to a new white theme — from the previous dark one that centered your movie frame and placed a clip timeline at the very bottom of the screen.

Now, your active frame is at the top with movie clips divided into several components for easier editing. It is ideally for users who insert multiple videos or images, but it also works well for longer clips, so that you don’t have to frequently scrub between the parts of a movie.

An overflow icon next to each section allows users to show the entire video to choose the right scene or further simplify the view by hiding the trimmed portions. Meanwhile, other options include moving the clip up or down (also achievable by dragging clips), muting the audio, or duplicating. Users can also insert a clip (image or video) and delete.

Under the live preview is a volume bar to control movie-wide audio, while tapping the note icon to the right allows users to choose their own songs or the pre-selected Theme music, where the interface has also been refreshed.

Those decrying the lack of themes, can still use the themed ones built into Google Photos when first creating a movie, with the features gained serving as a good trade-off. The new editor is beginning to roll out now, try making a new Movie creation or editing an existing one to access it.


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Avatar for Abner Li Abner Li

Editor-in-chief. Interested in the minutiae of Google and Alphabet. Tips/talk: abner@9to5g.com