Can You Rotate Videos in Google Vids? What You Need to Know and How to Fix It

Google Vids has quickly become a go-to storytelling and presentation app within the Google Workspace ecosystem. Designed to make video creation as collaborative and straightforward as putting together a Google Doc or Slides presentation, it lets teams weave together clips, text, voiceovers, and AI-generated assets.

However, as users dive into editing, a common hurdle often arises: How do you rotate a video clip inside Google Vids?

If you are currently staring at a sideways or upside-down video clip in your timeline and trying to find a rotation handle, here is the honest truth about how Google Vids handles video orientation, along with the best workarounds to get your project looking professional.

The Short Answer: Direct Video Rotation Isn’t Supported Yet

As of now, Google Vids does not feature a built-in tool to rotate video clips.

While Google Vids allows you to use the Arrange > Rotate menu or handles for text boxes, shapes, and static images, video files themselves are exempt from these native canvas-rotation controls. If you upload a clip that was shot vertically instead of horizontally (or vice versa), trying to spin it directly on the timeline won’t work.

Understanding Google Vids Layouts and Aspect Ratios

Instead of letting users manually spin individual video items, Google Vids manages orientation globally through project-level aspect ratios. In your project settings, you can choose between standard formats:

• Widescreen (16:9) (1920 x 1080 pixels)
• Vertical (9:16) (1080 x 1920 pixels)
• Square (1:1) (1080 x 1080 pixels)

While changing your overall project aspect ratio helps match your intended output platform (like shifting from YouTube landscape to mobile vertical), it still won’t fix a single rogue video clip that was recorded on its side.

How to Fix Your Sideways Videos (Workarounds)

Because Google Vids lacks a direct video rotation button, you must prep your video files before uploading them into your project. Here are the easiest ways to do it:

1. Use a Quick Online Video Editor

If your video is already saved on your computer or Google Drive, you can use a free online video utility (such as Canva, Clideo, or EZGif) to fix the orientation in seconds:

1. Upload your video to the quick-edit tool.
2. Use the rotation tool to spin the clip 90 degrees clockwise, counter-clockwise, or 180 degrees.
3. Export and download the corrected MP4 file.
4. Upload the properly oriented file directly into your Google Vids project.

2. Rotate Locally on Your Computer or Phone

• Windows (Photos App): Open the video in the default Photos app, click the Edit & Create (or rotate icon) button until it faces the right way, and save your changes.
• Mac (QuickTime or Photos): Open the video, navigate to the top menu bar, select Modify, and choose Rotate Left or Rotate Right before saving.
• Smartphones: Most native iOS and Android photo galleries let you crop and rotate video files right on your device before moving them to your computer or Google Drive.

Looking Ahead

Google Workspace frequently rolls out updates based on user feedback. As Google Vids matures into a more robust editor, native video manipulation features—including cropping, filters, and rotation controls for video objects—may very well make their way into the app. For now, a quick pre-edit rotation ensures your Google Vids presentation stays polished, professional, and right-side up.