You’re standing there with two separate clips of your dog doing something hilarious, or maybe you’ve got two angles of a concert that need to become one seamless memory. You want to know how to put two videos together iPhone style without downloading some bloated app that charges you $60 a year for "premium filters" you’ll never use. It’s a common frustration. Apple makes the hardware incredibly powerful, but the software path isn't always obvious to someone who just wants to smash two files into one.
Honestly, it's weirdly hidden.
Most people expect a "merge" button in the Photos app. It isn't there. Apple wants you to use their dedicated tools, or better yet, understand the shortcuts they've built into the OS. You don't need a MacBook. You don't need a pro editor. You just need to know which menu to tap.
Using iMovie for a polished look
iMovie is the old reliable. It's probably already on your phone, buried in a folder named "Extras" or "Apple." If you deleted it to save space for more photos of your lunch, just grab it from the App Store for free.
Open iMovie and start a new "Movie" project. Don't pick "Trailer"—that’s for making fake Hollywood teasers and it’s way too restrictive for just joining two clips. When the media picker opens, tap on your videos. You’ll see little blue checkmarks appear. Tap "Create Movie" at the bottom.
Now, here is where people get tripped up. The clips are back-to-back, but maybe the order is wrong. Press and hold a clip in the timeline until it lifts up, then drag it. It’s a bit fidgety. Sometimes you’ll drop it in the wrong spot and have to undo. Between the clips, you’ll see a little square icon. That’s your transition. By default, it’s usually a "dissolve," which looks a bit like a 90s wedding video. If you want a clean cut, tap that icon and change it to "None."
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Once you’re happy, tap "Done" in the top left. Then, hit the Share icon (the square with the arrow) and select "Save Video." This exports the new, combined file to your Photos library. It takes a minute depending on how long the videos are. 4K files will take significantly longer and might make your phone warm. That’s normal.
The Shortcuts app method (The "No-Edit" way)
If you hate timelines and just want a quick utility, the Shortcuts app is your best friend. This is for the person who wants to know how to put two videos together iPhone in about three seconds flat without seeing a single frame of an editor.
- Open the Shortcuts app.
- Tap the plus (+) icon.
- Search for "Select Photos" and add it. Toggle the "Select Multiple" switch to ON.
- Search for "Combine Images." Add it.
- Here’s the trick: Change "Images" to "Videos" in the action settings if it doesn't auto-detect.
- Set it to "Side by Side" if you want a collage, or "Top to Bottom."
- If you want them one after another, look for the "Encode Media" or "Append" logic.
Actually, there is a pre-made shortcut often found in the "Gallery" section of the app specifically for combining media. It’s less "creative" and more "functional." It’s perfect for when you’re sending a quick update to a client or a teammate and don't care about transitions.
Instagram and TikTok: The "Secret" Editors
Let’s be real. A lot of us are only joining videos to post them anyway. If that’s you, don’t even bother with iMovie.
Open Instagram. Act like you’re making a Reel. Select your first clip. Then, hit the plus button or "Edit clips" to add the second one. The interface is actually much more intuitive than Apple’s own apps. You can trim the ends by just dragging the yellow handles.
The beauty here is the "Drafts" feature. You don't have to post it. You can just edit the clips together, then hit the download/save icon at the top to save the combined video to your camera roll. Boom. You've used Instagram's multi-million dollar editing interface as your personal tool, and you didn't have to share it with your followers.
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Why your videos might look weird after merging
Ever notice how sometimes the screen gets those black bars on the sides?
That happens because of aspect ratios. If you filmed one video vertically (the "I'm holding my phone normally" way) and another horizontally (the "I'm a cinematographer" way), putting them together is going to be a mess. One of them will be shrunk down to fit the frame of the other.
iMovie usually decides the project's aspect ratio based on the first clip you add. If you start with a horizontal clip, everything else will be forced into that horizontal box. If you're mixing formats, you're going to have to crop. In iMovie, tap a clip in the timeline, tap the magnifying glass icon, and pinch to zoom until the black bars are gone. You'll lose some of the image, but it looks way more professional than those weird blurry edges.
A quick note on storage and 4K
Merging two five-minute 4K videos creates a massive file. Make sure you actually have the space. iPhone storage is notoriously expensive, and if you’re at 127.9GB of 128GB, the export will fail every single time. It won't always tell you why, either. It’ll just say "An error occurred during export."
Check your Settings > General > iPhone Storage before you start. If you’re low, delete those 400 blurry screenshots of memes first.
Moving beyond the basics
For those who find iMovie too simple but don't want to pay for a subscription, CapCut is currently the king of mobile editing. It's owned by ByteDance (the TikTok people), and while it has a "Pro" version, the free features for joining clips are lightyears ahead of iMovie.
It handles different frame rates better. If one video is 30fps and the other is 60fps, iMovie can sometimes get a little jittery. CapCut smooths that out during the render. Just watch out for the "Ending" it tries to tack on to every video with their logo; you can just click that little clip at the end of your timeline and delete it before you export.
Actionable Next Steps
To get the best result when you figure out how to put two videos together iPhone, follow this workflow:
- Audit your clips: Check if they are the same orientation (vertical vs. horizontal). If they aren't, crop them in the Photos app before you merge them.
- Clear some space: Ensure you have at least double the estimated size of the final video available in your local storage.
- Use iMovie for privacy: If the videos are sensitive or private, stick to iMovie or Shortcuts. They process everything on-device. Third-party apps often upload data to the cloud for processing or "analytics."
- Check the audio: When you join two clips, the volume might jump. In iMovie, tap the clip, hit the volume icon, and use the "Fade" tool or just manually lower the louder clip to match the quieter one.
- Export at the right resolution: Don't export a 1080p mashup if your original footage was 4K. Hit the "Options" link on the share sheet to ensure you're getting the highest quality possible.
Combining videos doesn't have to be a whole production. Start with the Shortcuts app for speed, move to iMovie for control, and use Instagram for the filters and "vibes." Just keep an eye on your aspect ratios and you'll be fine.