How to Clip a YouTube Video on a Computer or Phone
YouTube’s own Clip tool does the job: select 5 to 60 seconds of a video and share the link, and the clip plays on a loop from the original video’s watch page. On a computer, Clip sits in the More menu; in the YouTube app, it’s among the options below the Subscribe button. Checked against YouTube Help: Learn about managing Clips (Computer; app steps from the Android variant)
So learning how to clip a YouTube video means learning one tool, and it’s the only method this guide covers. Below are the steps for each device, the limits, and what creators control; for the wider picture of running a channel, see our guide to growing a YouTube channel.
Table of Contents
- How to clip a YouTube video on a computer
- Can you clip a YouTube video on your phone?
- How long can a YouTube clip be, and who can see it?
- Where do your YouTube clips go?
- Why can’t I clip a YouTube video?
- How do creators turn off clips on their channel?
- Clip or Short: what’s the difference?
- How do you turn your own video into a Short?
- Clipping on YouTube: FAQ
How to clip a YouTube video on a computer
Sign in, open the video, select More, then Clip, give the clip a title, set its length and click Share clip. These are YouTube’s steps for youtube.com:
On a computer: youtube.com:
- Sign in to YouTube.
- Go to a video you want to clip.
- Select More > Clip.
- Add a title for your Clip (max 140 characters).
- Select the section of the video you'd like to clip. You can increase (maximum of 60 seconds) or decrease (minimum of 5 seconds) the length of your selection by dragging the slider.
- Click Share clip.
- Choose an option for sharing the clip: social networks, embed, copy the link, or email.
Checked against YouTube Help: Learn about managing Clips (Computer; app steps from the Android variant).
The last step offers social networks, an embed, a copy of the link or email. None of them is a download: YouTube documents no download option for clips, and its Terms of Service forbid downloading content except where YouTube expressly allows it or with prior written permission. Checked against YouTube Terms of Service (effective 15 Dec 2023)
Can you clip a YouTube video on your phone?
Yes. In the YouTube app, open the video, slide the options below the Subscribe button and tap Clip. The app shares a clip to social networks, as a link or by email; embedding is a computer option. YouTube publishes the same steps for Android and iPhone:
On any device: YouTube app:
- Open the YouTube app.
- Go to a video you want to clip.
- Below the Subscribe button, slide the options to the right, tap Clip.
- Select the section of the video you'd like to clip by dragging the slider. You can increase or decrease the length of your selection to a maximum of 60 seconds or minimum of 5 seconds.
- Tap Share clip.
- Choose an option for sharing the clip: social networks, copy the link, or email.
Checked against YouTube Help: Learn about managing Clips (Computer; app steps from the Android variant).
How long can a YouTube clip be, and who can see it?
A clip runs from 5 to 60 seconds, and on a computer you can title it with up to 140 characters. It’s public to anyone who has the link and can also watch the original video, and it can appear on select YouTube search, discovery and analytics surfaces. Checked against YouTube Help: Learn about managing Clips
A clip lives and dies with its source. YouTube removes it if the original video is deleted, set to private or breaks the Community Guidelines, but clips made from unlisted videos stay available. Clips of a live stream show up after the stream ends and is uploaded.
Where do your YouTube clips go?
Into Your clips, YouTube’s Clips library, which holds the clips you’ve made and, if you’re a creator, the clips viewers made from your content. On a computer it’s under the You section of the left menu; in the app, tap your profile picture and scroll to Your clips. Creators also see the clips of each video in YouTube Studio:
On a computer: Manage clips of your videos (Studio):
- Sign in to YouTube Studio.
- From the left Menu, click Content.
- Select a video's title or thumbnail.
- From the left Menu, click Clips.
- You can view, play, and share your Clips.
On a computer: Delete a clip you created:
- Sign in to YouTube.
- From the left menu, click Your Clips under the "You" section.
- Find the clip you want to delete and select the Menu.
- Tap Delete clip > Delete forever.
On any device: Delete a clip you created (YouTube app):
- Open the YouTube app.
- Tap your profile picture.
- Scroll down and tap Your clips.
- On the clip you want to delete, tap More.
- Tap Delete clip > Delete forever.
Checked against YouTube Help: Learn about managing Clips.
Deleting a clip removes it from YouTube: anyone holding its link, including the creator of the original video, loses access. In the YouTube Studio app, creators can filter Content by “Video contains clips” to play, share or report a clip, or hide its maker from the channel.
Why can’t I clip a YouTube video?
YouTube’s current Clips page names two cases where you can’t clip: the creator has turned clipping off, or it’s a live stream without DVR or beyond the DVR window. Clipping is on by default, and a creator can also stop particular people from clipping by adding them to the channel’s Hidden users list. Checked against YouTube Help: Learn about managing Clips (Computer)
The page used to list more. Until mid-2026, YouTube’s Clips article said clips couldn’t be made from videos shorter than 2 minutes, videos made for kids, live streams over 8 hours long, Premieres while they’re still live, or videos from news channels. That list no longer appears on the live page. Checked against YouTube Help: Learn about managing Clips (Internet Archive capture, 15 Jun 2026)Archived copy, 15 June 2026 View the archived copy
If the option seems to be missing on a computer, open the More menu: that’s where YouTube’s computer steps put Clip.
How do creators turn off clips on their channel?
In YouTube Studio on a computer: Settings, then Channel, then Advanced settings, then uncheck “Allow viewers to clip my content”.
On a computer: YouTube Studio:
- Sign in to YouTube Studio.
- From the left Menu, click Settings.
- Select Channel > Advanced Settings.
- Under Clips, uncheck Allow viewers to clip my content.
- Click Save.
Checked against YouTube Help: Learn about managing Clips (Computer).
To keep clipping on but limit it, add specific people to your Hidden users list so they can’t clip, and add blocked words to keep those words out of clip titles.
Studio’s Clips page for each video shows how many clips it has, the views per clip and who made each one, and you can feature clips on your channel’s Home tab with a Top community clips section, added under Customization, then Featured sections, then Add Section. Checked against YouTube Help: Learn about managing Clips (Computer) If viewers keep clipping the same moment, that’s a lead for your next upload; our list of YouTube video ideas has more.
Clip or Short: what’s the difference?
A clip points to a moment inside an existing video; a Short is a new upload.
| Clip | Short | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A section of a video or live stream, shared as a link | A square or vertical video upload of its own |
| Length | 5 to 60 seconds | Up to 3 minutes |
| Made by | Viewers (unless the creator turns clipping off) and the creator, in YouTube Studio | The channel that uploads it |
| Source | Checked against YouTube Help: Learn about managing Clips (Computer; app steps from the Android variant) Checked against YouTube Help: Learn about managing Clips | Checked against YouTube Help: Upload YouTube videos (Android phone & tablet; iPhone & iPad variant identical) |
The two connect: a clip can be remixed into a Short if its source video is eligible for remix, and the creator who owns the source video can convert the entire clip into a Short. Checked against YouTube Help: Learn about managing Clips
How do you turn your own video into a Short?
Use the Clips and Shorts tool in YouTube Studio on a computer, or Remix, then Edit into a Short, in the YouTube app. Unlike a viewer clip, both make a new upload from one of your own long-form videos.
In Studio, the tool cuts a segment into a new Short or a new video clip. You pick the part in the transcript, by timestamps or from an AI suggestion where one is available:
On a computer: Create a Short:
- In YouTube Studio, select Content > Videos.
- Click the existing video that you want to use.
- In the left-hand menu, select Clips and Shorts.
- Click Create clip or Short > choose Short.
- Select which part of your existing video you'd like to extract into a new Short (select text in the transcript and click "Confirm selection", enter timestamps in the timeline editor, or pick an AI-powered suggestion if available).
- Select Preview Short.
- Click Create Draft. Complete the standard upload dialog to publish.
Checked against YouTube Help: Video Clips & Shorts in YouTube Studio.
AI suggestions are offered only in Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Mexico, South Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States, in English, French, German, Hindi, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish. The source video is added as a related video to the new Short unless the Short is private, unlisted or made for kids, and YouTube says you won’t be penalized for using your content in a clip or Short.
In the app, Edit into a Short takes up to 60 seconds from one of your public long-form videos. (The Edit into a Short option on the upload screen, for a square or vertical file over 3 minutes, is a different entry point that trims to 3 minutes or less.)
On any device: YouTube app:
- Go to the watch page of your video.
- Tap Remix > Edit into a Short to open the Shorts creation experience.
- Select up to 60 seconds of your video > tap Next to add creative touches like text or filters before you upload your Short.
Checked against YouTube Help: Create YouTube Shorts from your videos.
Private, unlisted and third-party-claimed videos can’t be used, the video must allow sampling (in Studio: Content, the video, Show more, Shorts remixing, “Allow people to sample this content”), and Audio Library music isn’t available on Shorts made this way.
Prefer your own editor? YouTube lets you download videos you uploaded yourself, and you can’t download anyone else’s. Checked against YouTube Help: Download YouTube videos that you've uploaded The download steps are in our guide to posting YouTube clips to Instagram, and once your vertical cut is ready, here’s how to upload a YouTube Short.
Publish your own finished videos with Outfeed AI
Clipping on YouTube: FAQ
How long can a YouTube clip be?
Between 5 and 60 seconds. You set the length by dragging the slider, and on a computer you can also give the clip a title of up to 140 characters. A clip plays on a loop from the original video’s watch page.
Why can’t I clip a YouTube video?
YouTube’s current Clips page names two cases where you can’t clip: the creator has turned clipping off, or it’s a live stream without DVR or beyond the DVR window. Until mid-2026 the same page also listed videos shorter than 2 minutes, videos made for kids, live streams over 8 hours long, Premieres while still live and videos from news channels. On a computer, look for Clip under More.
Where do my YouTube clips go?
To Your clips. On a computer it’s under the You section of the left menu; in the YouTube app, tap your profile picture and scroll down to Your clips. Creators can also see the clips made from their videos in YouTube Studio, under Content, then the video, then Clips.
How do I turn off clips on my YouTube channel?
In YouTube Studio on a computer, click Settings, then Channel, then Advanced settings, uncheck Allow viewers to clip my content under Clips and click Save. Clipping is on by default. To stop only certain people, add them to your channel’s Hidden users list.
What’s the difference between a YouTube clip and a Short?
A clip is a 5 to 60 second section of an existing video or live stream that you share as a link, and it plays on a loop from the original video’s watch page. A Short is a video upload of its own: square or vertical and up to 3 minutes long. If you own the source video, you can convert a whole clip into a Short.