Before you start
On Android, Nova Clip comes as an app. Until the app is on Google Play, you use the same editor in Chrome. Either way, your videos stay on your phone and are never uploaded.
Chrome, up to dateOpen the Play Store, search for Chrome and tap Update if it shows.
Free spaceKeep at least twice the size of your videos free, so the finished file has room.
Internet, the first timeYou need it to open the editor once and to sign in. After that, editing works offline.
A free accountYou can edit without one. To download the finished video you need to sign in with Google or email.
💡 Newer phones export faster. On an older phone, keep projects short and export at 720p.
The Android app
Nova Clip for Android Coming soon to Google Play
The app has the same editor that is described in this manual. When it's released, search for Nova Clip on Google Play and tap Install. It will update through the Play Store like any other app.
Until then: use it in Chrome
- Open Chrome and go to
novaclip.tech/editor.html.
- The phone editor opens directly. There's nothing to install.
- To find it quickly next time, tap Chrome's ⋮ menu and then the ☆ star to bookmark it.
Your projects and exported videos stay on your phone. When the app arrives, you can keep using them in the app.
The editor screen
Hold your phone upright. The screen has four parts:
1Import · Undo …Export
2▶ preview
⏮ ▶ ⏭ ━━━○━━
3
4TimelineMediaEdit
- 1Toolbar. Swipe it sideways to reach every tool: Import, Undo, Redo, Split, In/Out points, Delete, Text, Sticker, Marker, Save, Canvas size. Export always stays on the right.
- 2Preview. Shows your video. Below it are play, go to start, go to end, and the seek bar.
- 3Working area. It shows the timeline, your media, or the edit settings, depending on the tab you pick.
- 4Tabs. Timeline arranges your clips. Media lists everything you imported. Edit changes the selected clip.
💡 If you turn a large phone or tablet sideways, you'll get the full desktop layout. It works too, but upright is easier on a phone.
Add your videos
- Tap Import in the toolbar. Android's file picker opens.
- Choose Photos, Gallery or Files, then pick your videos, music or voice recordings. To pick several, press and hold the first one, then tap the others.
- The Media tab opens and lists what you imported.
- Tap + next to a clip to add it to the end of your timeline. The editor switches back to the Timeline tab so you can see it.
Add clips in the order you want them to play. You can rearrange them later (see Touch gestures).
💡 Importing only reads the files. Nothing is copied or uploaded, and your originals are never changed.
Touch gestures
On the timeline, a quick swipe moves the view, and press-and-hold moves a clip. That way you never move a clip by accident while scrolling.
| Do this | Where | What happens |
|---|
| Tap | A clip | Selects it. Its settings appear in the Edit tab. |
| Double-tap | A clip's name | Renames it. |
| Swipe | The timeline | Scrolls left and right, or up and down. |
| Hold, then drag | A clip | Picks the clip up (the phone gives a short buzz) and moves it to a new time or another track. |
| Hold, then let go | A clip | Opens the clip menu: rename, reverse, freeze frame, copy or paste the color grade, delete. |
| Drag an edge | The left or right edge of a clip | Trims the start or end. |
| Touch or drag | The time ruler above the tracks | Moves the playhead to that moment. |
| Drag | The seek bar under the preview | Scrubs through the video. |
| Pinch with two fingers | The timeline | Spread your fingers to zoom in for fine edits, or pinch them together to see the whole project. |
Trim, split & delete
Trim the start or end
Zoom in with two fingers so the clip is wide. Then drag its left or right edge inward.
Cut a clip in two
- Touch the time ruler to put the playhead where you want the cut. For a precise spot, drag the seek bar and watch the preview.
- Tap the clip to select it.
- Tap Split in the toolbar.
Remove a part
Split on both sides of the part you don't want, tap it, then tap Delete in the toolbar. You can also hold the clip and choose Delete from the menu. Turn on Ripple in the toolbar to close the gap automatically.
💡 Made a mistake? Tap Undo in the toolbar. Tap it several times to go further back.
Effects, text & music
Tap a clip, then open the Edit tab. Scroll down to see all the settings for that clip:
- Video Effects: brightness, contrast, saturation, hue, blur, plus the color tools (AUTO color, curves, LUTs).
- Transform: scale and rotation. Ken Burns adds a slow zoom and pan to a shot.
- Clip volume: from silent up to 200%.
- Noise Removal: reduces hiss and background hum in voice recordings.
To change a slider, drag it with your finger.
Add text
Tap Text in the toolbar. Type your words, then choose the size, color, Position (top, center or bottom), when it appears (Start and End, in seconds) and an animation. Ready-made styles such as Lower Third, Big Title and Subtitle are in the Edit tab under Text Overlays.
Add stickers
Tap Sticker in the toolbar, choose one, and set its size, Position and timing.
Add background music
In the Edit tab, find Background Music and choose a song file from your phone. Set its volume so it doesn't cover speech, and add a fade in and fade out.
Reels & Shorts size
Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and WhatsApp Status use a tall 9:16 video. Set this before you export:
- Swipe the toolbar and tap Canvas size (it shows Auto at first).
- Choose 1080×1920. For a smaller file, choose 720×1280. For a square post, choose 1080×1080.
- Check the preview. If a clip doesn't fill the frame, select it and raise Transform → Scale in the Edit tab.
Saving your work
Nova Clip saves your edits on the phone every 30 seconds. If Chrome closes or the phone restarts, open Nova Clip again. A banner will offer to restore your last project.
Your video files are not stored inside the project. After restoring, import the same videos again from your gallery, and your edits reconnect to them.
To keep a project for later, or to move it to another device, tap Save in the toolbar. It downloads a small .nova.json file. Open it again with Load.
Export & share
- Tap Export (top right).
- If you haven't signed in yet, tap Continue with Google or sign in with email. You only do this once, and your project stays open.
- Choose the resolution and format. MP4 works everywhere, and 1080p is a good choice for social media.
- Tap Start Export and wait until the progress bar finishes.
- The video is saved in your phone's Downloads folder. Open it from the Files app, or from Chrome's ⋮ → Downloads.
To post it, open WhatsApp, Instagram or YouTube, choose to upload a video, and pick it from Downloads.
⚠️ Keep the screen on and Nova Clip open until the export finishes. If you switch apps or lock the phone, Android can pause or stop the export.
Offline & updates
Once you have opened the editor with internet, Chrome keeps a copy, so it also opens without internet: on a flight, in the metro, anywhere. Importing, editing and exporting all work offline. Signing in needs internet, so sign in once while you're online.
Updates arrive on their own. Whenever your phone is online, Nova Clip fetches the newest version in the background and uses it the next time you open it.
Common problems
Where do I get the Android app?
The Nova Clip app is coming to Google Play. Until it's there, open novaclip.tech/editor.html in Chrome. It's the same editor. If a link opened inside Instagram or WhatsApp, tap ⋮ and choose Open in Chrome first, because those built-in browsers can't run the editor well.
The timeline scrolls when I want to move a clip
A quick swipe always scrolls. To move a clip, keep your finger still on it for about half a second until it lifts and the phone buzzes, then drag.
Clips are too small to grab the edges
Spread two fingers on the timeline to zoom in. Clips get wider, and the trim edges become easy to hold.
A video won't import or plays as a black screen
Some phones record in a format that Chrome can't play on that device (often HEVC/H.265 or "high efficiency" video). In your camera settings, switch to Most compatible / H.264, or convert the file first. Update Chrome, too: newer versions play more formats.
Export is slow, stops, or the phone gets hot
Your phone does all the video work, so long 1080p exports take time. Keep the screen on and stay in Nova Clip. Plug in the charger for long videos. Close other apps. If it keeps stopping, export at 720p or split a long project into parts.
"Not enough space" or the export fails at the end
The finished video has to fit on your phone. Free up space (clear old downloads, or move photos to cloud storage), then export again. A lower resolution also makes a smaller file.
Google sign-in doesn't open
Allow pop-ups for novaclip.tech in Chrome (⋮ → Settings → Site settings → Pop-ups), and make sure you're online. Signing in with email and password also works.
Where is my exported video?
In the Downloads folder. Open the Files app → Downloads, or Chrome ⋮ → Downloads. Some gallery apps only show it after a minute, or under Albums → Downloads.
Still stuck? Visit the Help Center, or write to team@novaclip.tech with your phone model and Chrome version.