Crop videos directly in the Samsung Gallery app
Samsung phones and tablets come with a built-in video editor in the Gallery app that lets you crop videos without installing anything else. Open Gallery, find the video you want to edit, tap it, then tap the pencil icon (Edit) at the bottom of the screen. From there, select Crop from the toolbar to adjust the frame size and remove unwanted edges.
The crop tool works by letting you drag the corners and edges of a rectangle overlay to frame the shot the way you want it. You can also rotate the crop box or flip it if needed. Once you have the frame set, tap Done to save the cropped version as a new file — the original stays untouched.
This method works on most Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets running Android 9 or later. If your device is older or the Gallery app looks different, you may have a different version, but the basic steps are the same: open the video, tap Edit, then look for Crop in the editing menu.
Key Takeaways
- The Samsung Gallery app has a built-in crop tool that works on most Galaxy phones and tablets without needing a separate app.
- Cropping happens in the Edit menu — open your video in Gallery, tap the pencil icon, then select Crop from the toolbar.
- You can drag the corners and edges of the crop box to frame the video however you want, and the original file stays unchanged.
- Cropped videos save as new files, so you keep both the original and the edited version on your device.
Step-by-step walkthrough for Gallery crop
Start by opening the Gallery app on your Samsung device. Scroll to find the video you want to crop and tap it to open it in full-screen view. At the bottom of the screen, you will see a toolbar with several icons — look for the pencil icon labeled Edit and tap it.
Once you are in the edit screen, you will see a row of editing tools at the bottom. Tap Crop (it usually looks like two overlapping right angles or a frame icon). A rectangular overlay will appear on your video with handles at the corners and edges. Drag these handles inward to remove the parts of the frame you do not want to keep.
If you need to rotate the crop box, look for a rotate icon near the crop controls — tap it to turn the frame 90 degrees at a time. When the frame looks right, tap Done or Save (the exact label depends on your Galaxy model). The app will process the video and save the cropped version as a new file in your Gallery.
Adjusting aspect ratio while cropping
Many Samsung Gallery versions let you lock the aspect ratio while cropping, which is useful if you are preparing a video for a specific platform. Look for a ratio icon (often shown as a square or rectangle with numbers) in the crop toolbar. Tap it to see options like 16:9, 9:16, 1:1, or Free (which lets you crop to any shape).
Choosing a preset ratio means the crop box will stay in that proportion no matter how you drag the corners. This is especially helpful if you are cropping for Instagram Stories (9:16), YouTube thumbnails (16:9), or TikTok (9:16). If you want to crop without any ratio restriction, select Free and drag the corners however you like.
What to do if Gallery does not have a crop tool
Older Samsung devices or different versions of the Gallery app may not include a crop feature. If you open Edit and do not see Crop in the toolbar, try updating the Gallery app through the Samsung Galaxy Store or Google Play Store. Samsung regularly adds features through updates, so a newer version may have the crop tool.
If updating does not help, you can use Samsung Video Editor (a separate app that comes pre-installed on some Galaxy devices) or read a third-party video editor like Adobe Premiere Rush, CapCut, or InShot. These apps offer more advanced editing options and work on any Android device, though they take up more storage space than using Gallery alone.
Saving and sharing your cropped video
After you tap Done, the Gallery app processes the video and saves it as a new file. The processing time depends on the video length and your device's speed — it usually takes a few seconds to a minute. You will see a progress bar while the app works. Once it finishes, both the original and cropped versions appear in your Gallery.
To share the cropped video, open it in Gallery, tap the share icon (usually three dots or an arrow), and choose your method — text message, email, social media, or cloud storage. You can also move the cropped video to a folder or delete the original if you no longer need it and want to save storage space.
Common issues and fixes
If the crop tool is grayed out or will not open, make sure the video file is in a format Gallery supports — MP4, MKV, WebM, and 3GP are the most common. If the file is corrupted or in an unusual format, Gallery may not let you edit it. Try playing the video all the way through first to confirm it works.
If the cropped video looks blurry or pixelated after saving, the original file may have been low resolution to begin with. Cropping does not improve video quality — it only removes edges. If you are cropping a very small section of a low-resolution video, the result will be lower quality than the original.
If Gallery crashes when you try to crop, close the app completely (swipe it away from recent apps), restart your device, and try again. If it keeps crashing, clear the Gallery app cache by going to Settings > Apps > Gallery > Storage > Clear Cache, then restart the app.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I crop a video that is already been edited?
Yes. Open the edited video in Gallery, tap Edit, and select Crop. You can crop any video file on your device, whether it is original or already edited. The app treats each file the same way and saves the cropped version as a new file.
Does cropping reduce the file size?
Usually yes, but not always by much. Cropping removes pixels from the edges, so the new video is technically smaller. However, the file size also depends on the video quality and length. A heavily cropped video will be noticeably smaller, but a small crop might only save a few megabytes.
What happens to the original video after I crop it?
The original stays on your device unchanged. Cropping creates a new file, so you end up with two versions. If you want to delete the original to save space, open it in Gallery, tap the trash icon, and confirm the deletion.
Can I undo a crop after I save it?
No. Once you save a cropped video, the new file is permanent. However, your original video is still there, so you can crop it again a different way if you want. If you accidentally saved a crop you did not like, delete the cropped version and start over with the original.
Does cropping work on all Samsung tablets?
Most Samsung tablets with Galaxy Tab in the name have the same Gallery app as phones, so cropping works the same way. Very old tablets may have a different version of Gallery without the crop tool. Check your Galaxy Store for updates if the crop option is missing.