the Google Photos Recap function a few days ago, allowing users to summarize their Photos activities for 2025 and utilize new features. Among these, Google added support for exporting Recap projects to CapCut for specific edits before sharing the videos on social media. However, fast-forward to Tuesday, and Google introduced a new video editing experience in Google Photos that turns the app into the built-in CapCut alternative Android required. It’s not entirely a CapCut substitute, as ByteDance’s video app provides more intricate video editing options, including additional built-in AI capabilities. On that topic, the new Google Photos video editing features do not focus on incorporating more Gemini AI functions into the app. AI has been a major focus for Google’s updates to Google Photos earlier this year.
That being said, advanced social media users who share video content on Instagram and TikTok might prefer or benefit more from the video-editing features available in those applications. Nevertheless, Google’s overhaul of the video-editing interface in Google Photos may meet the needs of casual users who don’t necessarily require more professional video-editing functionalities. In other words, Tuesday’s update introduces support for basic video editing tools that could lessen the necessity to use a different app.
You may not need to switch to CapCut if Google Photos already allows you to add music tracks and text overlays to your videos right after recording them. Furthermore, the new video features in Google Photos also surpass the capabilities of Apple’s standard Photos app on iPhone. In terms of iPhone, the revamped video editor in Google Photos will be accessible on both Android and iOS, featuring a universal timeline that accommodates multi-clip editing, music tracks, and a comprehensive menu at the bottom presenting various editing tools.