How to Rotate a Video in iMovie on iPhone/iPad/Mac 2026

"How can I rotate a video in iMovie?" You might want to find this out after you unintentionally shoot a video sideways. You import the movie to iMovie and find yourself stumped.

This guide will show you how to rotate a movie on iMovie step-by-step. As iMovie can only do basic rotation, we will also offer solutions to fix black bars on rotated videos and alternatives that have more advanced rotating options.

Part 1. How to Rotate a Video in iMovie on iPhone/iPad

Step 1Tap the Plus button at the top right, then tap Movie/Video and select your clip.

Step 2Tap the Add to Project button to put it on the timeline.

Step 3Put the tips of your thumb and index finger on the video and twist them clockwise or counterclockwise. A white circular arrow appears, confirming the rotation.

Step 4Save the result.

Part 2. How Can You Rotate a Video in iMovie on Mac

Step 1Click the Import button (a downward arrow) in the toolbar. Select the video and click Import All.

Step 2Drag your added video to the timeline and click on it so it is highlighted.

Step 3Click the Crop button, then choose to Rotate Clockwise or Rotate Counterclockwise. Hit the Check button for the changes to be applied.

Step 4Click Export File. Customize the file name and saving location if needed. Then click Save.

Part 3. How to Crop Black Bars After iMovie Rotates the Video

When you rotate a video in iMovie, black bars often appear around the edges. You can cut off the black bars directly in iMovie, but with a side effect: it also cuts off parts of the original video.

Step 1Select the rotated clip in the timeline.

Step 2Click the Crop button, then Crop to Fill. This resizes your video to fit the frame and cuts off the parts that can't fit in.

Step 3Save the result.

Part 4. Why People Find iMovie Limited for Video Rotation

iMovie have a few drawbacks that bother many users who try to rotate videos.

iMovie's support for vertical videos is limited: it lacks a 9:16 aspect ratio option. After rotating a clip, black bars often appear because iMovie locks the aspect ratio from the moment the clip was added to the timeline. The rotated video can't fill the frame cleanly.

Besides, iMovie only supports very basic 90-degree rotation. You can't tilt a video in iMovie as you want. It also lacks batch rotation, making it inefficient when you have a collection of clips to deal with.

Part 5. Alternatives to iMovie: Rotate Video Exactly the Way You Want

When iMovie feels limited, it's time to find an alternative with advanced rotating options. Using AVAide Video Converter on Mac and CapCut on iOS, you can rotate videos at will.

AVAide Video Converter (Mac)

AVAide Video Converter is a versatile video editor available on Mac and Windows. It lets you customize the output aspect ratio, so you can produce a clean result without any black bars. It also supports batch rotation with a simple click. Apart from rotation, you can also flip, crop, trim, and convert videos in the same workflow.

Step 1Download and install the tool on your Mac. Launch it, then click the Add Files button at the top left to import your video. If you have multiple videos to rotate, you can import them in bulk.

Step 2Click the wand button to open the editing window.

Step 3Two identical videos are shown side-by-side. The one on the right is your output preview. Click the first 2 buttons after Rotation to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise. If you want to batch-rotate, click the Apply to All button. Then click OK to save the changes.

Step 4Look at the bottom of the window. Next to the Output Format option, there's a gear button. Click on it to adjust the output resolution. Type in a target resolution that fits your rotated video so you won't get any black bars. Then click Create New.

Step 5Click the Convert All button at the bottom right to export.

CapCut Mobile (iPhone/iPad)

CapCut is a popular mobile video editor developed by ByteDance, originally designed for creating short vertical clips for TikTok. It's optimized for mobile devices, and it provides high flexibility in video rotation: you can fine-tune the rotation by any degree.

Step 1Download and install CapCut from the App Store. Open the app, then tap New Project and select the video you want to rotate.

Step 2Tap the video clip on the timeline to select it.

Step 3Open the Crop tab. There you can use the slider under Rotate to adjust the rotating direction and angle. The video zooms in to fit the frame. When you're done, click the check button at the top right.

Step 4Tap Export in the top-right corner, choose your preferred resolution and quality, then tap Export again to save the rotated video.

Part 6. FAQs About Rotating Videos on Apple Devices

Can I also flip my video using the AVAide Video Converter?

Absolutely. You can flip videos horizontally or vertically. Find the flip buttons right beside the rotation buttons.

Does VLC have a video rotation tool?

Yes. VLC can rotate videos, but only for temporary viewing. You can't save the rotated video permanently.

Is there a way to rotate a video on my iPhone without a third-party tool?

Yes, with iPhone's built-in Photos app. But the rotation is limited to 90 degrees per step, like with iMovie. And no batch processing either.

By Ben Carter on Aug 28, 2026