YouTube Create is a free phone app for editing both Shorts and long-form videos. To use it, sign in with a Google account on a supported device and in a supported region, start a project, import footage, edit it on the timeline, then export it to your phone or upload it to YouTube. Its tools include text, captions, templates on supported Android devices, and experimental AI features with limited availability.
What YouTube Create does
YouTube describes Create as an app for editing videos with production tools. It is intended for phone-based editing of Shorts and long-form videos, not as a desktop editor. YouTube says the app is free and has no ads. Its core workflow is to bring media into a project, edit it, and save or upload the result.
YouTube Help: Learn more about YouTube Create
Check the requirements and availability
You need to sign in with a Google account and be in a country or region where YouTube Create is available. YouTube Help lists Android phones with at least 4 GB of RAM, or iPhone XR and newer running iOS 17 or later. The listed supported locations are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Availability can change, so confirm your region on YouTube Help before installing.
Device and account requirements · YouTube Create available locations
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- Search, browse and play thousands of videos.
How to start an edit
- Install and sign in. Use a supported phone and Google account, then open YouTube Create and sign in to the YouTube channel you intend to use.
- Start a project. Tap the plus button, select photos or videos from your phone’s gallery, or import media from another app, then tap Import. You can add multiple images and video clips.
- Arrange and edit the media. Work with the clips and other elements in the project timeline. Preview the sequence as you build it so you can check the order and timing.
- Add text or captions if needed. Use text layers for titles or other on-screen wording, and generate captions for speech or an in-app voiceover where supported. Review the wording before finishing.
- Preview and choose an output. Export the finished video to your phone at a selected quality, or upload it directly to YouTube. Consider the music rules below before choosing a local export.
YouTube’s project help covers importing media and managing projects: Start or manage a project with YouTube Create.
Text, captions, and voiceover
Text layers
You can add plain text or text effects, then adjust a layer’s words, size, font, color, background, formatting, outline, and shadow. Text can be animated and dragged to a position on screen. You can split a text layer when you need to change its timing or wording in separate parts of the edit.
YouTube Help: Add text to your videos
Generated captions
Create can transcribe speech in a video or an in-app voiceover into captions. Choose the voiceover language when relevant, then proofread and style the generated captions; automatic transcription can make mistakes. YouTube Help says Create cannot generate captions for clips longer than 60 seconds.
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- Browse by interest - Discover videos you’ll love in categories like music, entertainment, news, gaming, and more. All from the comfort of your couch.
- Supports multiple accounts - Everyone at home can sign into YouTube with a Google account to see recommendations, subscriptions, and playlists.
- Play YouTube videos from your phone on the TV - It’s easy to enjoy videos with friends and family. Simply find the videos you want to watch on your phone, then send them to your TV with a single tap.
- Search by voice - Quickly and easily find what you want to watch using voice search.
- Watch movies and shows - Stay entertained with thousands of movies and TV episodes available to own, rent, or watch for free.
YouTube Help: Enhance your videos with captions
Templates and experimental AI tools
Templates
Templates provide ready-made structures for categories such as cooking, travel, and fashion. The documented workflow is to browse templates, choose one, add gallery media or imported media, select the portions of clips to use, then export or open the result in the full editor. YouTube’s template guidance specifies Android devices with at least 4 GB of RAM; it does not establish template support on iPhone.
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YouTube Help: Create videos with templates
AI features
YouTube labels the AI features experimental and says access is limited to selected creators and countries. These are rollout details, not a guarantee that a particular account can use them. As listed by YouTube Help on October 3, 2026, Gemini Omni can generate vertical clips up to 10 seconds from a prompt, with optional reference images; its listed locations are Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, and the United States. Nano Banana image generation is listed for users over 18 in those same locations, with English or Hindi prompts.
Edit with AI has a separate listed location set: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Türkiye, and the United States. YouTube lists initial voiceover support in Bengali, English, Hindi, and Portuguese. Check YouTube Help for current access and account eligibility before planning a project around any of these tools.
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- Better performance and stability
- Organize projects into stacks
- Switch between light and dark mode
- Use blending modes
- Try the new glow effect
YouTube Help: Create with AI in the YouTube Create app
Exporting, uploading, and music limits
After previewing, you can export to your phone at a selected quality or upload directly to YouTube. The Shorts Audio Library has different limits depending on the route: if you export a video locally and it is longer than 15 seconds, Shorts Audio Library music is automatically removed. For direct uploads, YouTube Help says licensed music clips can be up to 60 seconds. Check the music’s license and the intended destination before relying on a soundtrack in an exported file.
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- Control what your kids can watch on YouTube — You’ll be thrilled to hand your tablet over with total peace of mind
- Easily pick and choose what your child views — Whitelist videos and entire channels instead of risking inappropriate “recommendations”
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- Set screen time limits — Let Safe Vision be the one to say “That’s enough TV for now”
- Lock and unlock individual videos or entire channels — Allow your kids to access only the channels and videos you trust
Fix common problems and protect your projects
Export fails or the app struggles with a complex edit
A project may exceed what the phone can handle. YouTube suggests simplifying it by removing overlapping video layers, stickers, effects, or transitions. If it still fails, try lowering export quality from 1080p to 720p.
Upload fails or goes to the wrong channel
Uploading needs a strong internet connection. Also check that the app is signed in to the Google account and channel you mean to publish from: Create associates the upload with the channel signed in inside the app.
Moving phones or deleting the app
YouTube warns that existing projects will be lost if you delete the app or get a new phone. Export finished videos to your device gallery before deleting Create or changing phones; the export is a safeguard for completed videos, not a way to preserve editable project state.
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YouTube Help: Troubleshoot YouTube Create upload errors
Or let it run in the cloud
YouTube Create is for editing a video; if you also want a pre-recorded video to keep a YouTube channel live around the clock, StreamNeo is a separate cloud service. Upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. StreamNeo loops uploaded videos from the cloud, so nothing has to stay running at home. It does not stream from a camera or to platforms other than YouTube.
- Your computer and home connection do not need to stay on.
- Any quality up to 4K 60fps streams as uploaded, at one flat price per slot.
- Automatic recovery is provided if YouTube drops the stream.
- The first day is free with no card required.
The Monthly price is $9.99 per month. See StreamNeo or its pricing page for details. Start your free first day with StreamNeo.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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