How to Edit a YouTube Short (Before and After Posting)

There are two very different things people mean when they ask how to edit a YouTube Short. One is cutting and polishing the clip before it goes live. The other is changing something about a Short that's already published. YouTube treats them separately, so I'll take them one at a time.

I'll stick to what YouTube's help pages say. Where they don't cover something, such as changing the footage of a published Short, I'll tell you plainly instead of guessing.

Editing a YouTube Short before you upload it

This is where you have the most control. After you record, YouTube's help says you can add music, apply filters or use other effects, and use Undo to remove the previous clip or Redo to bring it back.

1. In the YouTube app, tap Create, then Short.
2. Record your clip or clips.
3. Use Undo or Redo to remove or restore a segment.
4. Add music, filters or effects from the options on the editing screen.
5. Tap Next when you're happy with it.

If you walk away halfway through, tapping Close lets you choose Delete or Save and exit. YouTube says saving a draft at that point keeps the edits you've made.

Trimming a YouTube Short with the Trim tool

Trim lets you drag the sides of the bar to set the start and end times. Anything outside the box won't appear in your Short. The help page also describes an Align tool, which shows the last frame of your previous clip as a silhouette so you can line up a transition.

Speed, timer and filters for your YouTube Short

• Speed: adjust a shot between 0.3x and 3x its original speed.
• Timer: set a countdown before recording and choose where recording stops.
• Filters: apply one to each recorded segment to change brightness, colour or style.
• Retouch: toggle a skin-smoothing effect on or off.

Adding text, voiceover and a timeline to your YouTube Short

After recording, the help page lists more editing choices. You can add several text overlays and change their colour, style and alignment. You can record a voiceover by positioning the playhead and holding or tapping the record button. And a timeline editor lets you edit, reorder and trim clips, text, stickers, music and voiceover in one place, with a hold-and-drag to reorder clips.

There are also visual guides that show roughly where the like button, comments and description may sit, so you can keep text clear of them. Text near the edge can appear as non-safe, shown with white lines. If you want speech on screen for viewers who watch silently, my guide to adding subtitles to a YouTube video is worth a look as well.

Editing a YouTube Short draft

Saved drafts aren't kept on your channel. YouTube says they're stored on your device. To pick one up, tap Create, then Short, then Drafts. That also means a draft won't follow you to another phone, so finish important ones on the device where you started.

Editing a published YouTube Short in the Android app

Once a Short is live, you can change its details but the help pages describe settings, not the footage. In the YouTube app on Android:

1. Tap your profile picture, then Your videos.
2. Next to the Short, tap More, then Edit.
3. Make your changes and tap Save.

In the YouTube Studio app the route is different: tap Content, select the Short, tap the Edit icon, change the settings and tap SAVE.

What you can change on a published YouTube Short

YouTube's help lists the editable fields. The ones most useful for a Short are:

• The title and description (the title can be up to 100 characters).
• The thumbnail, by tapping More on the Short in Your videos, then Edit.
• Tags and language.
• Visibility, such as public, unlisted or private.
• Subtitles and captions.
• Shorts remixing, which controls whether others can create Shorts from your video's audio.

Changing a thumbnail is a good example of where the timing matters. Before upload, you tap the Edit icon on the thumbnail, select a frame and tap Done. You can add text and filters to the thumbnail too, but YouTube says you can't return to earlier thumbnail edits once you've made them.

Can you trim or change the video of a published YouTube Short?

The help pages are clear for regular videos: the Trim and cut editor in Studio works on a computer without re-uploading, and the URL, view count and comments stay the same. The article doesn't say whether Shorts can be trimmed after upload, so I can't promise it. Open the Short in YouTube Studio and look for an editor option. If there isn't one, the reliable route is to fix your original footage, publish a new version and then decide about the old one.

If you do remove the old one, read my guide to deleting a YouTube video first, because deletion is permanent and affects any remixes.

If you can't find the edit option for your YouTube Short

1. Check you're signed in to the channel that owns the Short.
2. Look in Your videos or Studio's Content list rather than the Shorts feed.
3. Update the YouTube app, since menus vary by app version.
4. Remember the Shorts camera isn't available on tablets, so use a smartphone to edit in the camera.
5. If it's still missing, use the help or feedback option inside YouTube.

This guide is part of my YouTube Help: 30 Guides to Channels, Subscribers, Monetisation, Thumbnails and Fixes.

Frequently asked questions

How do I edit a YouTube Short?

Before upload, record the Short in the YouTube app and use tools such as Undo, Trim, filters, text, voiceover and music. After upload, open Your videos, tap More then Edit to change details.

Can I change the music on a Short I've already posted?

YouTube's help pages I read don't describe replacing the audio of a published Short, so check the edit options in Studio or publish a fixed version.

Where do Short drafts go?

YouTube says drafts are stored on your device, not your channel. Tap Create, then Short, then Drafts to open one.

Can I change the thumbnail of a Short after uploading?

Yes. YouTube says to go to Your videos, tap More on the Short, then Edit.

How long can a Short title be?

YouTube's help says the title can be up to 100 characters.