Best Mobile Video Editing App in 2023 (iOS & Android)

I’m about to reveal the best apps for editing video on your iOS (iPhone or iPad) or Android device.

The best thing is that many of the top video editing apps are completely free.

Whether you need to edit video clips for TikTok, Instagram or YouTube, these apps can get you there.

I prefer to edit footage on my computer using video editing software and a large monitor, but for basic video editing, a smartphone app is much faster.

In fact, some of the video editing apps below let you transfer and sync your clips between mobile devices and computers too.

Let’s take a closer look at my recommendations.

What is the Best Video Editing App in 2023?

Adobe Premiere Rush | Best Overall Video Editing App

Adobe expanded its already impressive line-up of video editing software with the inclusion of Adobe Premiere Rush on mobile devices.

As you might expect, Premiere Rush lacks the in-depth editing tools you’ll find in Premiere Pro, but it’s nevertheless a strong performer for editors on the move.

Projects can be easily synced to allow for use on mobile and desktop devices, which makes it optimal for content creators who are sharing to several social media channels.

You can easily add a video clip, apply a range of filters, effects, and transitions, and include titles using a broad selection of fonts in a wide range of colours and animations.

There are also plenty of audio editing tools you can use with Premiere Rush to include sound effects, loops, and background music and further enhance your content.

With the addition of advanced features such as colour presets and time remapping, Adobe Premiere Rush is the best editing app for complete control over your videos.

• Adobe Premiere Rush Review

LumaFusion | Best Advanced iOS Video Editor

Video editing enthusiasts and professionals who use Apple devices and are looking for a comprehensive video editing app will be impressed by what LumaFusion has to offer.

This powerful video editing app includes many advanced features for precision editing, with full HDR support and a thorough, customizable user interface.

Basic editing functions such as trimming, reordering, and adding titles and transitions are complemented with in-depth options for colour grading through Look Up Tables (LUTs).

These sophisticated video editing features aren’t usually found in a mobile video editing app, and LumaFusion’s intuitive interface ensures they’re easy to use throughout the editing process.

It comes with an impressive selection of additional tools, such as motion tracking, keyframing, and masking, as well as plenty of options for editing audio tracks with precision.

iPhone and iPad users looking for the best video editing apps for their mobile devices will be impressed by the professional-level tools LumaFusion has to offer.

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GoPro Quik | Best Video Editing App for GoPro

GoPro filmmaking exists in its own particular niche, and the GoPro Quik video editing app is specifically geared toward content creators using this platform.

Working with photos as well as videos, Quik allows users to generate highlight videos automatically using all content on a phone’s camera roll.

Initially designed to help users find the best moments in their videos, its latest iteration allows it to source content from DSLRs and other devices in addition to GoPro cameras.

Like most video editing apps, there is a range of filter options you can use to enhance the content, along with a selection of royalty-free music you can use.

Adding titles and other effects and basic video editing features is also easy to accomplish thanks to Quik’s simple-to-use interface and editing tools.

Upgrade from the free version and the full range of video editing tools, such as speed adjustment, are unlocked, along with hundreds of additional royalty-free tracks.

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KineMaster | Best Video Editing App for Advanced Editors

More experienced video editors who want access to a free video editor that doesn’t skimp on tools and features should try the KineMater video editor.

KineMaster delivers the same level of editing features that are typically found on desktop programs, with many of these tools available in the free version.

The main interface delivers functions including trimming, panning and zooming, reversing video, and speed adjustments, along with more specific tools such as vignetting.

You can work with multiple videos using independent layers, easily adding overlays such as text and stickers, as well as applying colour filters and opacity using slider controls.

There’s even a chroma key tool for YouTube and other social media content creators who are working with green screen for their videos.

KineMaster’s comprehensive approach to delivering professional-looking videos makes it one of the best video editing apps for working on mobile devices.

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Splice | Best Free Video Editing App for Quick Splicing

Splice is a basic video editing app that delivers a much more streamlined experience than its counterparts, geared towards casual content creators with little editing experience.

It’s a video editor that eschews advanced tools in favour of simple trimming and splicing of video files and includes basic transitions, effects, and video filters.

There’s also the option to include music and sound effects, with a decent archive of content users can access to help create amazing videos for their social media channels.

The option to remove background is another compelling reason for casual videographers to consider using Splice, and combined with filters, it’s a popular app for Instagram Reels users.

Indeed, the developers of Splice are aware of its social media-friendly status and have made sharing to Instagram and Facebook incredibly easy to accomplish.

While Splice isn’t going to convert hardcore video editors, casual content creators with a focus on social media content creation can quickly achieve great results for their pages.

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iMovie | Best Free Video Editing App for Apple Users

Another great free video editing app for those with little to no experience is iMovie, available for Apple’s smartphones and tablet devices such as the iPad.

This entry-level video editor allows users to quickly chop and add effects to their video clips via its easy-to-use interface, with AI-powered tools that do the hard work for you.

Select the Magic Movie option and input your video clips and photos to achieve this quick result, or use the standard Movie mode for more control over your content.

Basic controls such as editing the clip on your timeline, adding titles and text, and including music can all be found directly beneath the timeline for ease of use.

If you’re using an iPhone 13 or higher, there’s also a Cinematic setting you can use along with a Speed option to increase or decrease the speed of the clip.

The mobile app version of iMovie delivers a bare-boned yet intuitive video editor for beginners who want their software to do the legwork for them.

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InShot | Best Social Media Video Editing App

InShot is a video editing application that is oriented toward social media users who want an easy-to-use platform to deliver short-form content online.

This includes a great selection of features such as fonts, filters, and stickers that are ideal for content creators who regularly upload content to TikTok and want a fast workflow.

There’s an impressive selection of animated stickers to choose from directly from within InShot, as well as editable text and a lengthy list of cool sound effects.

The intuitive interface makes cutting, splicing, and other basic editing easy to accomplish, while the more advanced tools and special effects are also easy to add with a few simple taps.

Once you’ve finished editing your video and adding titles and effects, InShot can convert and resize it so it’s compatible with your social media platform of choice.

Instagram, Whatsapp, YouTube, Facebook Stories, and even Tangi are all platforms supported by the InShot video editor, which also makes it ideal for online marketing campaigns.

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FilmoraGo | Best Video Editing App for Casual Users

Filmora’s desktop video editing program is a hugely popular software for editing professional videos, with FilmoraGo replicating many of the core features for mobile and tablet devices.

Available for iOS and Android devices, FilmoraGo utilizes two main modes to get started, from the Templates mode for video editing beginners to Project mode for more detailed editing.

Using the Templates mode presents the user with themed templates, including Food and Fashion, each of which includes pre-made titles, transitions, music, and other elements.

Creating your own project allows you to add all of these elements manually, as well as trim and perform other basic editing, such as cropping and rotation of the clips you add to the timeline.

Adding music and sound effects is simple, and FilmoraGo offers a reasonable selection of audio files you can use for free, with more available through the Wondershare store.

While the absence of additional layers might be off-putting for more savvy video editors, casual users who don’t need in-depth features can nevertheless produce appealing content with FilmoraGo.

• Filmora Review

What Free App is Best For Video Editing?

There are several excellent free video editing apps you can use for editing on the go which offer a broad selection of editing tools.

Some free video editing software worth checking out include:

• PowerDirector
• iMovie
• KineMaster
• Splice
• Filmmaker Pro
• InShot
• VivaVideo
• Zoomerang

What free apps do YouTubers use to edit videos?

While many YouTube content creators will use desktop programs when editing their videos, there are times when editing videos need to be done on the go.

Some of the best video editing apps these influencers use that won’t cost you any money include:

• FilmoraGo
• PowerDirector
• OpenShot Video Editor
• WeVideo
• VideoShow

What are the Best Video Editing Apps for Instagram Reels?

Instagram Reels works with its own unique set of specifications that content creators need to be aware of when choosing a great video editing app.

Some examples of video editing apps that are oriented toward Instagram Reels include:

• InShot – perfect for vertical videos.
• Adobe Rush – features built-in templates for Instagram Reels.
• Canva – features free images and illustrations to add to Reels.
• Clips – easy-to-implement and customizable captions.
• Splice – dynamic transitions and eye-catching filters.