Google Drive simplifies video editing
Google Drive is home to every type of file imaginable, and a decent proportion of those files are videos. It is with this in mind that Google has decided to make it easier to edit videos which have been uploaded to its cloud storage service.
Rather than adding video editing tools directly into Google Drive, the company is instead making it easier to access the option to do so using Google Vids.
What this means in practice is the addition of a new button which serves as a shortcut for opening the currently selected video in Google Vids. From here you can then go about whatever editing tasks you want to complete using familiar tools.
Google Vids is itself a pretty new tool from the search engine giant, so it is good to see that it is being embraced and integrated so quickly. Google says of the latest feature of Google Drive:
Users now have a quicker way to start editing right from Drive, using Google Vids. With this launch, when a user is previewing their video in Drive, there will be an "Open" button in the upper right that will open the video in Vids. Vids will automatically open the video file, and from there you can further edit as you see fit. For example, you can then trim the clip, add music, add text, and much more.
This might initially seem like a very minor addition to Google Drive – and that is because it is a pretty minor addition. But that does not reduce its value. For anyone who works with videos a lot, it is a handy enhancement to workflow.
But there are limitations. If you were hoping to be able to create a cinematic masterpiece in this way, you may have to lower your expectations. The number of supported video file types is small – just the following four types:
- MP4
- Quicktime
- OGG
- WebM
But this is not the end of the restrictions. Google also says that “individual clips have limits of 35 minutes and 4 GB”.
Although these are limitations that will not stand in the way of all video editing needs, it does mean that it is a feature that will not enjoy universal appeal.
In a support document announcing the availability of this new button in Google Drive, Google also says:
Once Vids opens the video file, a new Vids file is created. Users will need to go through the regular steps to save/export to a non-Vids editable file.
There is something else to keep in mind – this is not something available to all Google Drive users. If you are a personal user of Google Drive, you are out of luck – at least for now, and possibly forever. Google shares a list of who has access to the option:
Availability
Available for Google Workspace:
- Business Starter, Standard, and Plus
- Enterprise Starter, Standard, and Plus
- Essentials Enterprise Essentials and Enterprise Essentials Plus
- Nonprofits
- Education Fundamentals, Standard and Plus
Anyone who previously purchased these add-ons will also receive this feature:
- Gemini Business*
- Gemini Enterprise*
Also available to:
- Google AI Pro and Ultra
In terms of brower support, Google says:
You can use Vids on your computer with the two most recent versions of these browsers:
o Chrome
o Firefox
o Windows only: Microsoft Edge
o Other browsers may work, but you might not be able to use all of the features.
The rollout of is now underway, and it is due to complete within a couple of weeks.
Ahead of this process completing, Google invites you to learn more:
- Dive into Google Vids with our free, self-paced online training course, designed specifically for educators and available now in the Google for Education Learning Center. You can also leverage this one pager to get a quick summary of what you can do with Vids.
- Visit the Help Center to learn more about getting started with Google Vids or how to edit videos stored in Google Drive with Google Vids.