Import videos from Photos and Files into your edit

How the tool works

The timeline plus button offers Photos and Files alongside existing recordings. Photos keeps the selection order; Files provides an order-review list before you add the batch. A silent video is also a valid source, so a screen demonstration does not need a soundtrack before import.

Import adds a copy rather than changing the original in the gallery. New sources are inserted after the selected take, or at the end. The project then controls their playback order and cuts separately from the files you selected.

Build it step by step

Check that each file is accessible on the device and leave enough storage for a local copy before selecting a batch.

• Choose a selected take as the insertion point, or leave the project ready to append sources at the end.
• Open the plus picker and select Photos or Files according to where the videos are stored.
• Choose the clips in their intended order and use the file review list to correct that order.
• Wait for the copy to complete; use Cancel if you selected the wrong material.
• Play across each join and check the frame, sound, and source duration before trimming.

An example to adapt

Illustrative exercise: combine a recorded introduction with a screen capture and a silent close-up. Put the screen capture after the introduction, then the close-up after the explanation.

Add narration only after checking what the imported clips already communicate. This keeps the assembly readable and avoids describing an action before it appears on screen.

Check before finishing

An unreadable item fails the import batch and preserves the existing project. Cloud-backed items must be available to the picker; a remote file is not a guarantee of an immediate import. Imported copies use device storage even when the gallery original remains unchanged.

The timeline editor requires Starter or above. Check the app for current feature access and purchase options before planning your edit.