Mention the online apps available as part of Google Workspace, and most people will immediately think of Google Drive, Gmail, Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides—those speedy, lightweight office apps that let you get work done from any browser tab.
There's more to the suite of Google Workspace tools than you might have realized though, including an online video editing package called Google Vids. Originally launched in 2024 for business and enterprise users, the app was made available to individuals in 2026 and continues to get regular updates from Google.
Since it's both free to use and designed to run in a web browser, it's not capable of pro-level, high-resolution, multitrack video editing. But for personal and hobbyist use, it works well, and it won't take you long to learn the basics.
Finding Google Vids isn't difficult: You can either open Google Drive on the web, then click New and Google Vids, or head straight to the Google Vids app page and click the + (plus) button under Start a new video. (Any videos you've previously made are shown here, too.)
Besides beginning with a clean state (the Blank vid option), there are plenty of other ways to get started: You can generate AI videos with the Veo 3.1 model, turn a slideshow into a video, work from a template, upload an existing video as a starting point, create an AI music track, record a video using your camera, produce a video with an AI avatar, or create a storyboard outline. Note you can also pick the video orientation at the top.
Most of these options use a similar layout, and we're going to focus on the traditional video-making approach here—though the AI options are well worth exploring, too, if you don't have source material to work with. If you're new to Google Vids, then picking Templates from the opening splash screen will ease you in gently.
When it comes to picking a template, the topic isn't as important as the layout. Look for something that matches what you want to create as closely as possible (hover over any of the thumbnails to see an animated preview). The next dialog lets you choose whether you want to use the entire template or just selected scenes. After that, you're into the video editing interface proper.
Most of the elements should be relatively familiar if you've ever used a timeline-based video editor in the past. At the bottom you've got your video and audio tracks, while the main window shows the currently selected segment of your video. The panel on the right lets you edit whatever's currently selected.
Down the right side of the interface you've got all the options for loading in new content. You can record webcam clips, create AI videos, import footage from Google Drive and Google Photos, add voiceovers, and drop in text, images, music, and shapes. If you've started with a template, some of these elements will be styled to match.
Along the top of the Google Vids interface are more editing and formatting tools. These menus are where you should head to change transitions between scenes, to manage how elements are arranged in a particular scene, to drop in new scenes, and to manage your video project as a whole.
To begin building your projects, you'll probably want to load in audio, video, and images via the buttons on the right. On the most basic level, you can click the + (plus) button on the timeline to create a new scene, then drag in a photo or video from the right-hand panel to fill the scene you've just created.
A whole host of options present themselves when you right-click on the timeline. You can, for example, mute the audio track imported with a video, then add a voiceover or some different music. You're also able to split scenes (if you only want to keep half a scene maybe) and duplicate scenes (for quickly expanding the running time of your project) with a right-click.
Keep your eye on the panel on the right, which changes depending on the context. With audio tracks, you can apply fades, and with video clips you can choose from different transitions. If your scene has several elements (like shapes that scroll over a video), you're able to adjust how they look and behave.
Let's say you have a video scene and want to put some text over it. Select the scene in the timeline, click the Text button on the right, then click Add a title to do just that. If you then select the title in the scene itself, you can change the text and its styling.
Using the handles around the text box you can change its position, size, and rotation. There are also three buttons underneath on a floating toolbar: Animation lets you animate the text, Resize will resize the text box to fit the text you've entered, and Format options brings up a panel where you can change text size, padding, rotation, and so on.
Click and drag on elements inside a scene to reposition them, and right-click for more options—including Cut, Copy, Paste, and Delete. If you need more material to work with, choose the Stock option on the right, which gives you a library of material you can make use of in addition to your own content and anything created with AI.
There's a lot more to Google Vids, but that should be enough to get you started—try experimenting with a few of the templates to see what else is possible. As with the other Google Drive apps, all your edits are saved instantly, and up in the top right corner you've got a Play button for viewing your work in progress, and a Share button for when it’s ready for the world to see.
Source: Wired
