How to Create Shorts with YouTube for Android and iOS

TikTok’s rising popularity has inspired competing apps like YouTube to add similar options. Consequently, on Android and iOS, you can now create small videos in portrait orientation called “Shorts,” which are limited to up to 60 seconds. In this tutorial, we walk you through the basics of creating a YouTube Shorts on Android and iOS apps.

Also read: How to Record Video with Music on iPhone

How to Create a “Short” on YouTube for Android and iOS

Whether you’re using YouTube on an Android or iOS device, the steps to create a TikTok-like video are basically the same.

1. Open the YouTube app on your Android or iOS device.

2. Tap on the “+” button at the bottom middle of the display.

4. Select the “Create a Short” option, which is currently in beta.

4. The shorts recording screen will appear, asking you to allow access to your camera and microphone. Grant the permissions to continue.

5. You can start recording by pressing and holding the red Record button at the bottom.

Select Your Preferences

Before you start recording your video, you should check out the options that appear on the display and select your preferences. You can access the following features:

Flip – flips between your front and rear camera so that you can switch between them according to your preferences.

Speed – lets users adjust the speed of recording from 0.3X to 3X.

Timer – sets a timer so that you don’t need to worry about pressing and holding the Record button.

Short Length – There are two options here: you can shoot videos that are either 15 or 60 seconds long.

Additionally, you can add music to your short clips by pressing the “Add Music” button to add a background tune to your clip. The feature taps into YouTube’s extensive music library.

Once you’ve selected your preferences, you can go ahead and record the clip you want.

How to Edit Your Shorts

After you’ve filmed your video, you can go ahead and edit it a little bit. At the bottom of the display, you’ll notice a menu which comes with several options:

Music – if you added music but decided you wanted to change the track in the meanwhile, you can adjust by pressing this button and tapping on the “Change music” option.

Adjust – you can select which part of the track should play on top of your clip. Just drag your finger over the song bar to select the part you want to share.

Text – it’s possible to add text on top of your clip. Customize it using different colors, fonts and more.

Timeline – add different text messages by using the timeline option. Here you can add multiple prompts, then drag the handles for the text to adjust when they should appear and disappear.

Filters – last but not least, don’t forget to add some filters to your creations. Click Done when you’re ready to continue.

How to Post Your First YouTube Short Online

Now that you edited your clip, all you have to do is post the short on your YouTube account and share it from there. Simply press the “Next” button in the upper-right corner, then select a Title for your creation. Set the video’s visibility and select the audience, then press “Upload.”

Wait a bit until the video uploads to your channel. Once that’s done, you can share it with your friends and followers.

Simply tap on the video thumbnail to view your video. From there you can use the “Share” button to show your creation to the world.

Frequetly Asked Questions

1. Can I use YouTube Shorts on desktop?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. YouTube Shorts is a feature designed specifically for mobile usage. It allows you to shoot short clips, then quickly edit them.

2. What should I do if I can’t see the Short option?

This might mean the option is not available in your region yet. In May 2021, after making the “Shorts” option available to selected accounts, YouTube said it was expanding the beta feature to all US users. Shorts is also available in Europe, but given that the feature is quite new, you may just have to wait a while before you can take advantage of it yourself.

3. How do you discover new Shorts?

If you’re curious to see how others used the feature, open the YouTube app on your device and look at the bottom. You should be able to see a “Shorts” button there. Tap on it and start swiping upwards to check out what others have been creating.

Wrapping Up

YouTube Shorts is one of the latest additions to the popular video app, so you may find that many special editing and effects features are currently missing. Know that these should be coming with future updates, as YouTube will undoubtedly continue to improve the option. While we wait on that, perhaps you’d be interested to learn how to cast YouTube from your phone to your PC. Also, get up to speed on how to upload a video on YouTube.