New YouTube app update lets you convert your long-form videos into shorts on iOS and Android

YouTube has updated its iOS and Android apps with a new feature that lets you convert up to 60 seconds from your existing long-form content YouTube videos into Shorts. The new feature offers all of the usual editing tools you’re used to from the YouTube app including text, timeline editor filters, etc. and will let you bring some of your older content back to the forefront of your feed.

As well as letting you pick pre-existing videos, you can also extend clips shorter than 60 seconds with the Shorts camera or upload more videos from your phone’s gallery to make it fill up to the 60-second Shorts limit. The new Shorts created from your previously-uploaded videos will also link to the original content where viewers can see the full length version.

The news was announced on a Google update post:

[July 28, 2022] Import your YouTube videos into Shorts
Attention Shorts creators: to make it easier to create even more new content, you can now convert up to 60 seconds from your own existing long-form YouTube videos and turn them into Shorts using all the same editing tools that you know and love (text, timeline editor, filters, etc.)

• This update will allow you to bring fresh life to your classic content and gives you a new way to engage your audience
• If you select a part of your video that is less than 60 seconds, you can shoot additional videos with the Shorts camera as well as upload more videos from your gallery to make 60s Shorts if need be. Note: in order to shoot or add gallery video you’ll need to hit the back arrow once in the editing screen after you’ve chosen your video segment
• Shorts created from VODs will link back to the original long-form videos so that people watching your Short can see the original video too. Importantly, only you as the original creator will be able to import your long-form videos into Shorts as this tool is not available for other creators to use on your content
• This is rolling out now for mobile creation across iOS and Android devices

The new feature has already begun to appear for some users, but not for everybody just yet. It’s rolling out now, though and will come to both iOS and Android devices. If you’re not seeing it in your YouTube app yet (I’m not), then don’t worry, it should be coming soon!