How To Merge Videos In Windows 11/10 Using the Built-In Photos App

Want to merge videos in Windows 10 or Windows 11 but don’t have any idea how to proceed? Here we will explain to you how to merge videos with Windows’s built-in Photos app in a step-by-step manner.

You must be knowing that Windows Movie Maker (Windows Essentials 2012) has been retired by Microsoft and the download links have been taken offline officially though you can download Windows Essentials 2012 from some independent or third-party sites like ours.

Leaving Windows Movie Maker aside, still, you have something best in-built with Windows 10 and Windows 11 that helps you merge your videos. That’s the built-in Photos app. With its simple and user-friendly interface, the Photos app allows a user to merge videos effortlessly.

Merging Videos With the Built-in Photos App

Follow the steps below and you will be able to merge all your videos within no time.

Note that to merge videos using the Photos app, you require Windows 10 v1709 (Fall Creators Update) or higher. See the article How to Find Your Windows 10 Build Number, Version, Edition and Bitness for more information.

Instructions for Windows 10 (2004 and up) and Windows 11

1. Launch the Photos app.
2. From the Collections tab, click New video → New video project. This starts a blank project.
   Note: On Windows 11, you can also click on the Video Editor tab in the Photos app and click on the New video project button. The rest of the instructions are the same in Windows 11.
   
3. Assign a name for your video and click OK.
   
4. In the Project library, click on the Add button to add the videos you want to merge.
   
5. Once added the videos, select all the videos, and click Place in storyboard.
   
   The storyboard is a section at the bottom of the screen where you can manipulate your videos by adding special effects, trim, or split the videos before combining them into a single file.
   
6. If you want no changes made to the clips and want to merge them as they are, click on the Finish video button on the top right corner of the window, and complete the process.

   Customizations

   Optionally, from the Storyboard section, you can trim or cut unnecessary portions in a clip using the Trim, or Split button. For instance, I’ve split the 1st video into two parts using the Split feature. The first part is 5.97 seconds which I wanted to remove from the video before merging them.

   Note that your original videos won’t be modified.

   

   Now, I’m deleting the intro clip which I have split earlier, by right-clicking on it and clicking on the Remove this video clip.

   

   Now, you have done all the modifications (trim, split, add a caption, applied 3D effects, or filters), click on the Finish video button.

   

7. Select the output resolution from the list. Unfortunately, only 3 preset video quality options are there.
   Editor’s note: The original videos used in this example are 360p, but I have no choice other than to choose the lowest quality option in the list, which is 540p. I’m expecting a dramatic increase in the output file size which we’ll check later.

   

8. Assign the output file name and save it to your desired location.
   

That’s it. The videos are merged now.

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Instructions for older versions of Windows 10

1. Click Start, type Photos, and click on it to launch the app.
2. Click on the “Create” button available there right beside the search box.
   
3. Once you click on it, you will get three options, namely “Automatic video with music,” ” Custom Video with music” and “Album.” You need to click on “Custom Video with music.”
   
   Note: You can proceed with “Automatic video with music” as well to merge Videos With Windows 10 Built-in Photos App. Things will remain the same.
4. You’re all set to merge videos. Now just select the first video that you want to merge with another and then click on “Create.”
   
5. Once you click on ” Create,” you will be asked to define a name for the merged video file. You can save the file with any name that you want.
   
6. Now you’re in editing mode. You will see “Project Library” section therein editor screen. You need to click on “Add photos and videos” to add all those videos that you want to merge.
   
7. Once added, drag and drop them to the ” Storyline” section.
   
8. Next, you define music for your merged videos. You can either keep the default audio of target videos that you’re merging or use other soundtracks to replace the default audio. To do so, click on the “Music” glyph icon as shown in the image below.
   
9. You can click on “None” if you want to keep default audio of your videos.
   
10. If you want to change the default audio of your video or replace it, click on “Your Music” tab and then “Select A Music File” to add a new audio track to your merged videos and replace their default audio track.
    
11. Save Merged Video File. To save the merged video file, you need to click on “Export or share.”
12. You will be asked to select the file size.
    
13. Select any file size that meets your requirement.

That’s it. You’ve successfully merged all your videos with Windows 10/11 Photos app. Your merged video file will now get saved automatically in the following folder path:

%USERPROFILE%\Pictures\Exported Videos

Hope this post has delivered some valuable information to you. Also, keep following us to get more techy updates. Have questions? Let us know in the comment section.

(This article was last updated on January 5 2022 for Windows 11.)