Getting started with Apple’s Clips app [Video]

Now that Apple’s Clips app is officially available on the App Store, the next thing is figuring out is how to use it, at least that’s what a lot of the early reviews are saying. Follow along for a hands on look at getting started with Clips.

After trying out Clips myself I understand where a lot of the sentiment is coming from about a more nuanced UI and it being somewhat more complicated than Snapchat and Instagram. However, it didn’t take me too long to feel mostly comfortable using the app.

The first time opening Clips you’ll be greeted by a welcome video, you can tap on the video and skip it by tapping the Get Started button which will appear at the bottom. Once you’re in the app you’ll land on the video capture screen. From here you can press and hold to start recording clips or you can choose PHOTO to take stills or choose LIBRARY to use content from your camera roll.

Video Walkthrough

Subscribe to 9to5Mac for more YouTube videos

Next, take a look at the different fun effects and editing options. At the top of the app the caption bubble icon will allow your voice to be transcribed with decent accuracy, just make sure to focus on enunciating. Apple includes 8 different fonts/styles of how the text will appear.

The next feature is filters, tap the 3 overlapping circles to choose one of the 8 options. I have a feeling we’re going to be seeing a lot of Comic Book.

Tap on the star icon to add stickers and emojis or overlays as Apple calls them. You’ll also be asked if you’d like Clips to use location services. Swipe from right to left to access the limited emojis. You can also change the text in the various overlays by pressing and holding on top of the text.

The next feature is posters, which are animated title screens. Once you select one, you can tap and hold on it to edit. The last icon on the right (musical eighth note) allows you to add audio to your Clips either with pre-loaded soundtracks or from your music library.

Once you’ve created a clip it will show up at the bottom of the app. At this point you can tap on individual clips to mute, edit, or delete them, press and hold to rearrange your clips, or create and add more. Tap Done in the bottom right hand corner when you’re finished and your clips will be combined into one video that will show up at the top of the app.

Tap the play button in the bottom left corner to review your final video. Tap the share button in the bottom right hand corner to share via Messages, directly with social media or you can save Clips videos to your photo library.

There’s no doubt using Clips takes more time to use than Snapchat and Instagram, but it also has some rich features that almost makes it feel like a blend between Snapchat/Instagram, Powerpoint, and iMovie.

Stay tuned for an in-depth review of Clips coming soon. In the meantime you can take a look at the Clips Help menu by tapping the down arrow in the top left hand corner of the app you’ll notice the ? icon in the top right hand corner.