You've got a dozen clips of your cat doing something moderately impressive. Or maybe it's footage from a concert where the bass was way too loud. Either way, they’re sitting in your Photos app as separate files, and you want them to be one seamless masterpiece. You want to merge videos together on iPhone, but you don't want to spend three hours learning professional editing software or, worse, paying for a subscription app that puts a massive watermark right in the center of your screen.
Honestly? It's easier than most people think. Apple actually gives you a few different ways to do this natively, though they hide the best features in plain sight.
Most users gravitate toward iMovie because it's the "official" way, but there are actually faster methods using the Shortcuts app or even the hidden "Slo-mo" trick if you’re just trying to bridge two quick clips. We’re going to walk through how to get this done without the headache.
Why iMovie is still the reliable standard
iMovie is like that old Honda Civic in your garage. It’s not flashy, it’s been around forever, and it works every single time. If you deleted it to save space, go grab it from the App Store for free. To merge videos together on iPhone using iMovie, you start by tapping "Movie" under the "Start New Project" prompt.
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This is where people usually get annoyed.
The interface opens your media library. You tap the videos you want. You see that little blue checkmark? That’s your golden ticket. Once you hit "Create Movie" at the bottom, iMovie throws them all onto a timeline. If they’re in the wrong order, just long-press a clip and drag it. It feels tactile. It feels like you’re actually building something.
But here is the catch: iMovie defaults to adding a "Cross Dissolve" transition between clips. It makes your video look like a 90s wedding montage. If you want a hard cut—which usually looks more professional—you have to tap that little icon between the clips and change it to "None." It’s a tiny detail, but it changes the whole vibe of the final product.
The "Shortcuts" method for people who hate editing
Maybe you don't want to deal with a timeline. You just want File A + File B = File C.
Enter the Shortcuts app.
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This is Apple’s automation tool, and it’s surprisingly powerful for basic file manipulation. You can actually build a custom "Combine Videos" shortcut. You tell the app to "Select Photos," set it to "Multiple," and then add an action called "Encode Media." Within that action, there’s an option to "Combine Videos."
It’s fast. Like, really fast.
The downside? You don't get to choose transitions. You don't get to trim the ends. It just mashes them together like a digital stapler. For many people just trying to merge videos together on iPhone to send a quick update to a group chat, this is the superior method. No dragging, no dropping, just clicking "Run" and picking your files.
A quick note on aspect ratios
Nothing ruins a merged video faster than mixing vertical (9:16) and horizontal (16:9) footage. If you try to merge videos together on iPhone that have different orientations, iMovie or any other app will usually force them into a square or add those ugly black bars on the sides.
Try to stick to one orientation. If you must mix them, use a third-party tool like InShot or CapCut, which allow you to set a canvas size (like 9:16 for TikTok/Reels) and then "fill" the background with a blurred version of the video so the black bars don't look so stark. It's a common trick used by social media managers at places like The Verge or Social Media Today to keep content looking intentional.
What about Clips?
Apple has this other app called "Clips." It’s weirdly overlooked. While iMovie is for "movies," Clips is for "content."
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If you want to merge videos together on iPhone while adding live captions or funky filters in real-time, this is your spot. You don't "import" as much as you "record" into the project. You hold down the big pink button to add a clip from your library to the sequence. It’s very "Gen Z" in its UX design. It’s great for quick storytelling, but it lacks the precision of a real editor. If you're trying to sync audio to a specific frame, stay away. If you're making a birthday shoutout for your grandma, it's perfect.
The "Files" app workaround
Did you know you can do basic trimming and merging inside the Files app? Probably not, because why would you?
But if your videos are saved in "On My iPhone" or iCloud Drive rather than your Photos app, you can select multiple files, tap the three-dot "More" icon, and sometimes see "Create PDF" or other quick actions. While it won't natively "stitch" the video frames into a new MP4 without a shortcut, it's a better place to organize your raw assets before you start the merging process. Keep your workspace clean. It prevents you from accidentally merging the wrong take where you tripped over the rug.
Common pitfalls to avoid
- Storage Space: Merging two 1GB 4K files creates a new file that is roughly 2GB. You need at least 3GB of free space to perform the operation. If your iPhone is "Storage Full," the export will fail at 99%, and you will want to throw your phone across the room.
- Frame Rates: Mixing 24fps (cinematic) with 60fps (smooth/slo-mo) can sometimes cause "jitter" in the final export. iMovie handles this okay, but some third-party apps will make the 60fps footage look choppy.
- The "Duplicate" Glitch: Sometimes when you merge videos together on iPhone, the Photos app will show the new video with the same timestamp as the original clips, making it hard to find. Sort by "Recents" to find your new creation at the bottom.
Third-Party Powerhouses (When Apple isn't enough)
Look, I love Apple’s native tools, but sometimes they feel a bit... basic.
If you’re looking for something with more "oomph," LumaFusion is the gold standard. It costs money. It’s basically Final Cut Pro for your iPad or iPhone. If you are a professional creator, stop reading this and just go buy LumaFusion.
For everyone else, there’s CapCut. Owned by ByteDance (the TikTok people), it has the most intuitive "merge" functionality on the market. You just hit "New Project," select your clips, and they’re merged. The "Auto-cut" feature can even sync your clips to the beat of a song automatically. It’s almost scary how good it is at doing the work for you. Just be aware of the privacy trade-offs that come with using apps owned by large international conglomerates—always check those permissions in your Settings.
Actionable Next Steps
To get started right now, follow these specific steps to ensure a high-quality result:
- Check your storage: Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. Ensure you have at least double the size of your video clips available in free space.
- Standardize your clips: If one video is 4K and the other is 1080p, the final merged video will usually default to the lower resolution or upscale poorly. Try to use clips shot with the same settings.
- Open iMovie: Tap the + icon, select "Movie," and pick your clips in the specific order you want them to appear.
- Edit the transitions: Tap the icon between clips on the timeline and select "None" for a clean jump cut.
- Export at maximum settings: When you hit "Done" and then the "Share" icon (the square with the arrow), tap "Options" at the top of the share sheet. Ensure it is set to "Video" and the highest resolution (4K) and frame rate (60 fps) supported by your original footage.
- Save to Photos: Tap "Save Video" to render the final file into your library.
Once the export bar finishes, your new, singular video will be waiting at the bottom of your "All Photos" album. Delete the original individual clips only after you’ve verified the new merged file plays correctly from start to finish with audio synced.