Cropping a video on Windows 10 might sound intimidating, but honestly, it’s not as bad as it used to be — especially if you’re just trying to trim out the boring stuff or focus on certain scenes. The thing is, Windows’ built-in tools aren’t super flexible when it comes to directly cropping the frame — at least, not with the Photos app. Still, trimming the length or focusing on a particular segment is doable and straightforward. Sometimes, you just need to cut out those extra seconds or remove distracting parts from the edges, and for that, the Photos app does a decent job. If you want actual crop-by-frame control, then it’s worth checking out third-party apps, but for quick edits, sticking to built-in tools saves a lot of hassle.
How to Crop Video in Windows 10
Method 1: Use the Photos App for Basic Trimming
This is probably what most folks try first — even though it’s technically trimming rather than cropping. Why it helps? Because it’s built into Windows without installing anything extra. When your video has a lot of unwanted bits at the start or end, trimming is a quick way to get rid of it. You can’t really crop the edges, but if you think about it, removing parts of the timeline helps focus on what matters.
Here’s how it’s done:
- Find the video you want to edit — right-click, then choose Open with > Photos. If Photos isn’t your default, just select it manually.
- Once open, look for the Edit & Create option at the top — it’s usually a pencil or scissors icon. Click that.
- Select Trim from the dropdown menu. Yep, it’s not cropping the frame, but it’s the closest simplest thing.
- Drag the sliders on the timeline to select your preferred start and end points. Think of it as zooming in on a specific scene. It’s kinda weird that Windows doesn’t let you crop edges directly, but hey.
- When satisfied, click Save a copy. That saves your trimmed version as a separate file without messing up the original. On some setups, the save process can fail the first time — just try again or restart the app.
Expect your video to now be focused on the part you chose, but the frame’s still the same. Good enough for quick highlights or removing unwanted beginnings/endings.
Method 2: For Actual Frame Cropping, Use Third-Party Tools
Since Windows 10 doesn’t make it super easy to crop the actual frame, some folks swear by free apps like VLC or paid editors like Filmora. These let you adjust the border or zoom into a frame, so you get rid of ugly edges or unwanted background. Why bother? Because sometimes your video’s framing isn’t quite right, and trimming just the timeline isn’t enough. Plus, these apps usually have more precise cropping options, sometimes with aspect ratio controls.
For instance, with VLC, you can do this:
- Open VLC and load your video.
- Navigate to Tools > Effects & Filters.
- Click the Video Effects tab, then go to Crop.
- Manually enter the crop values or use the sidebar to adjust borders visually.
- Don’t forget to save your settings and export the video by going to Media > Convert / Save.
This method actually crops the frame itself, not just trims. The image looks better, but keep in mind it might take some trial and error—the crop effect can sometimes be finicky or slightly lower quality if you’re not careful with export settings.
When the usual stuff isn’t enough, here’s what might help
– Use dedicated video editors if cropping the frame matters a lot. Apps like Shotcut or DaVinci Resolve are free and powerful, but they come with a learning curve.
– Always keep backups of your original files — because messing with video settings can go sideways.
– For quick social media clips, sometimes just zooming and cropping in a smartphone app or online editor might be faster than fussing over desktop tools.
Summary
- Use Photos’ trim feature for quick cuts of unwanted parts.
- For actual frame cropping, switch to VLC, Filmora, or other video editors.
- Always keep backups before heavy edits.
- Expect some trial and error when tweaking the crop or export quality.
Wrap-up
Getting your videos cropped just right on Windows 10 isn’t super complicated once you understand what tools do what. The built-in Photos app is great for trimming, but if you really need to crop the frame, third-party options are better. The key is knowing what kind of crop you want — trimming or framing — and choosing the right tool. Not sure why, but the options are kinda limited for frame crop without extra software, which is a bummer. Hopefully, this shave off a few hours for someone and makes the whole process less annoying.