Video Trimmer
Trim and cut videos online for free. Remove unwanted parts from videos.
Click or drag a video file here (MP4, MOV, WebM, AVI)
How to use Video Trimmer
Upload Your Video File
Click the blue 'Choose File' button in the center of the screen and select your video from your device. Supported formats include MP4, WebM, MOV, AVI, and MKV up to 2GB in size.
Set Your Trim Points
Use the timeline slider at the bottom to mark the start point (left handle) and end point (right handle) where you want to keep your video. The preview window shows exactly what will be trimmed in real-time as you adjust.
Preview Your Edit
Click the 'Play' button above the timeline to preview the trimmed section. Adjust the handles left or right using the gray slider handles until you're satisfied with the cut.
Download Your Trimmed Video
Click the green 'Download' button in the bottom right corner. Your trimmed video will download as an MP4 file with the original quality preserved. Processing time depends on file size.
Related Tools
Trim video online free: cut the start, end, or middle of any clip
Trim video online free: cut the start, end, or middle of any clip
Trim any video file in your browser with ToolHQ's video trimmer, set your start and end points, remove what you do not need, and download the result. Your file never leaves your device.
Video trimming removes unwanted footage from a clip by defining which portion to keep. You set a start time and an end time, and the tool outputs only the segment between those two points. The original footage outside that range is discarded. No upload to a server, no account required.
Most video content benefits from trimming. Interviews have long silences at the beginning and end. Screen recordings capture the moment before you start speaking. Social media clips need to fit within platform time limits. Raw footage almost always has dead air, false starts, or off-topic sections that should not reach the final audience.
Key takeaways
- Trimming sets a start and end point; the video outside those points is removed
- Cutting (splitting) removes a section from the middle of a clip, different from trimming
- Cropping changes the frame dimensions, entirely different from trimming or cutting
- Supported formats: MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV, MKV, WebM
- Your file never leaves your device, all processing happens in your browser
Trim, cut, and crop: what each one does
These three terms are frequently confused, and most video tools use them inconsistently.
Trimming means adjusting the start or end of a clip. You move the left handle inward to remove footage from the beginning. You move the right handle inward to remove footage from the end. The result is a shorter clip.
Cutting (sometimes called splitting) means removing a section from the middle of a clip. You mark a section of unwanted footage, say, a 10-second coughing interruption in the middle of an interview, and delete it. The footage before and after the cut joins into a single continuous clip.
Cropping changes the aspect ratio or framing of the video. Instead of removing time, you remove edges of the frame. A 16:9 landscape video cropped to 9:16 portrait removes the left and right edges and keeps the centre, the duration stays the same. For cropping, see ToolHQ's crop video tool.
| Action | What changes | Duration affected | Frame affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trim | Remove start or end | Yes, shorter | No |
| Cut/split | Remove middle section | Yes, shorter | No |
| Crop | Remove frame edges | No | Yes |
| Compress | Reduce file size | No | No |
Supported formats for video trimming
| Format | Description | Common source |
|---|---|---|
| MP4 | Most widely supported container | Cameras, downloads, screen recording |
| MOV | Apple QuickTime format | iPhone, macOS apps |
| AVI | Microsoft container, older format | Older cameras, Windows software |
| WMV | Windows Media Video | Windows media players |
| MKV | Matroska container, often high quality | Downloaded video, FOSS tools |
| WebM | Open web video format | Browser-recorded content, YouTube |
When to trim a video
Remove dead air at the start. Most recordings start a second or two before the action begins. A screen recording begins with the cursor moving to position. A camera clip starts before the subject speaks. Trimming the first few seconds creates a more direct opening.
Cut the trailing footage. The reverse problem is equally common: a clip runs long after the content ends. A presentation continues recording while you close apps. An interview has "ok, thanks, bye" dead space at the end. Trim it.
Fit platform time limits. TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts all have maximum video lengths. A raw clip that runs 90 seconds needs to be trimmed to meet a 60-second limit. Trimming identifies the best 60-second window within the full clip.
Extract a specific moment. You have a 45-minute webinar recording and want to share the 3-minute section where a guest answers one strong question. Set the start time to where the question begins and the end time to where the answer ends, the output is a self-contained shareable clip.
Remove confidential footage. A screen recording captured credentials or personal information in the first 30 seconds before the intended content. Trimming removes those frames before sharing the clip.
Prepare social media content. Social platforms reward shorter, higher-retention clips. A 5-minute YouTube video trimmed to its strongest 60 seconds performs better on Instagram than the full version.
Mini-story: A product manager recorded a 12-minute demo video of a new software feature. Most of the good content was between the 2-minute and 9-minute marks. The first two minutes were setup and loading screens; the last three minutes were questions from an internal call. She trimmed the video to the 7-minute core demo, reducing the file size by about 40% in the process and making it much more shareable with external stakeholders.
How to trim a video
- Upload your video file. Click the upload area or drag and drop. Supported formats include MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV, MKV, and WebM. Your file stays on your device.
- Set the start point. Drag the left timeline handle to the point where you want the clip to begin, or type an exact timecode.
- Set the end point. Drag the right timeline handle to the point where you want the clip to end.
- Preview the result. Use the play button to confirm the selected range looks correct before processing.
- Click "Trim." Processing happens in your browser. When complete, the trimmed clip downloads to your device.
Mini-story: A content creator posted tutorial videos on YouTube and wanted to repurpose each one into a short for TikTok. Her videos ran 8-12 minutes each. She identified the single clearest tip in each video, usually a 45-60 second segment, and used a video trimmer to extract just that moment. Each short went from raw footage to ready-to-post in under two minutes, with no quality loss and no watermark.
Getting the start and end time right
Most video trimmers let you scrub the timeline with a drag handle or enter exact timecodes. Timecode format is typically HH:MM:SS or MM:SS.
For precise trimming:
- Watch the full clip once and note the exact times you want as start and end
- Use frame-by-frame controls if your trimmer supports them for cut points within fast action
- Trim slightly before the intended start and after the intended end, then trim again if needed, it is faster than undershooting
If you need to remove a section from the middle rather than trim the ends, you will need a cutting or splitting tool rather than a pure trimmer. Many online video editors combine both capabilities.
Trim vs compress: different tools, different goals
Trimming and compressing both reduce video file size, but through completely different means:
| Approach | How it works | What is lost |
|---|---|---|
| Trim | Removes footage outside the selected range | Footage you did not want anyway |
| Compress | Re-encodes the video at lower quality/bitrate | Some visual quality |
Trimming is lossless in terms of quality within the kept segment. The remaining footage is not re-encoded and retains its original quality. Compressing re-encodes the entire video at a lower bitrate, reducing quality but keeping the full duration.
For a large raw file that you want to keep in full but make smaller, use ToolHQ's video compressor. For a file where you only need part of the footage, trim first, then compress if needed.
Frequently asked questions
Will trimming reduce video quality? No. Trimming removes footage from the start or end without re-encoding the remaining video. The portion you keep retains its original quality.
What is the maximum file size I can trim? ToolHQ's video trimmer runs in your browser, so the practical limit depends on your device's available memory. Most modern computers handle files up to several gigabytes without difficulty.
Can I trim multiple sections at once? Standard trimming sets one start and one end point. For multiple cuts, removing sections from several different parts of a clip, you would need to trim the video in multiple passes or use a full video editor.
What formats can I export the trimmed video as? The output format typically matches the input format. If you upload an MP4, the trimmed result downloads as an MP4. For format conversion, see ToolHQ's MOV to MP4 converter.
Is my video uploaded to a server? No. Your file never leaves your device. All trimming happens locally in your browser.
The short version
Trimming a video removes footage from the beginning or end to keep only the segment you want. It is not the same as cutting (removing a middle section) or cropping (changing the frame dimensions). Trimming does not reduce quality in the kept portion. It is the fastest way to clean up raw footage, extract a specific moment, or prepare a clip for social media.
Trim your video now at ToolHQ, browser-based, no watermark, your file never leaves your device.
For related tools, try crop video to change aspect ratio, or video compressor to reduce file size without cutting footage.