If you’ve spent any time on YouTube over the past few years, you may have noticed a scissors-style “Clip” button under videos. For a long time, that button let anyone—viewers and creators alike—grab a short segment of a video or livestream and share it with a custom title and a link that pointed straight back to the original. It was a simple, built-in way to highlight the best moment without downloading software or re-uploading anything.
That feature has changed significantly. As of April 2026, YouTube retired the ability for everyday viewers to create new Clips. Existing Clips that people made before the change remain viewable, but the button itself is gone for most users. In its place, YouTube has shifted clipping power primarily to creators through a tool inside YouTube Studio called Video Clips, while making “share at timestamp” the standard way for anyone to point someone to a specific moment in a video.
Here’s a clear, up-to-date look at what YouTube Clips were, what replaced them, and how you can still capture and share short highlights effectively in 2026.
What YouTube Clips Used to Be
Originally, a YouTube Clip was a 5- to 60-second segment cut from an existing public video or livestream. Anyone watching the video could:
Click the Clip button (usually near the like, share, and save icons)
Drag handles to select the exact start and end (minimum 5 seconds, maximum 60)
Add a short title (up to 140 characters)
Share the resulting link via social media, messaging apps, email, or embed it on a website
The Clip itself played on a loop on the original video’s watch page. It was never a separate uploaded video in the traditional sense, and it always drove traffic back to the full original. Creators liked it because popular community Clips could boost views and watch time on the source video. Viewers liked it because they could quickly share “you’ve got to see this part” moments without forcing friends to scrub through a long video.
Not every video supported Clipping. Videos under two minutes, content marked “Made for Kids,” certain livestreams, and any video where the creator had disabled the feature were off-limits.
The Big Change in 2026
YouTube announced in April 2026 that it was discontinuing the viewer-facing Clips creation tool. The company noted that third-party clipping apps had become more advanced and that it wanted to focus on better tools for creators. Existing Clips stayed live, but new ones could no longer be made by regular viewers.
At the same time, YouTube:
Made the “share at timestamp” option more prominent and widely available (especially on mobile)
Expanded Video Clips inside YouTube Studio so creators can easily cut segments from their own long-form videos and archived livestreams and republish them as standalone videos
Promised further improvements later in 2026, including Video Clips support for Shorts and AI-powered suggestions for the most “clippable” moments
In short, clipping didn’t disappear—it moved behind the creator dashboard and became a proper publishing tool rather than a lightweight sharing feature.
How Creators Use Video Clips in YouTube Studio Today
If you own the original video, you can turn highlights into new videos in just a few steps. This is now the official, supported way to create Clips on the platform.
Go to YouTube Studio and open the Content tab.
Click the video you want to clip.
In the left menu, select Clips, then click Create video clip.
Choose the segment you want using one of three methods:
Highlight text in the auto-generated transcript and confirm the selection
Click words in the transcript to set start and end points
Manually enter timestamps or drag the timeline handles
Click Create Draft. You’ll get a standard upload dialog where you can add a title, description, thumbnail, and even an intro or outro from another eligible video.
Publish the new video (or save it as a draft).
The resulting clip becomes a regular video on your channel. It can appear in search, get recommended, earn ad revenue (if you’re monetized), and be turned into a Short later. YouTube has also started rolling out AI-powered suggested clips for certain podcast-style videos, which can surface the strongest moments automatically.
This approach is more powerful than the old viewer Clips because the new video lives on your channel with its own analytics, thumbnail, and monetization potential.
How Viewers Share Specific Moments Now
Without the old Clip button, the simplest way to share a moment is the timestamp link:
On desktop or mobile, open the share menu while the video is playing.
Toggle or select the option to include the current timestamp.
Copy the link. When someone opens it, the video starts at that exact point.
It’s less “fancy” than a titled, looping Clip, but it’s fast, universal, and still drives people to the full video. Many creators now encourage fans to share timestamp links in comments or on social media.
Other Practical Ways to Create and Share Short Highlights
Because the old viewer tool is gone, a lot of people (and creators) use additional methods:
Third-party AI clipping tools — Services that analyze long videos and automatically generate short, captioned clips optimized for Shorts, TikTok, Reels, etc.
YouTube’s own Shorts creation tools — Creators can already pull segments from long-form videos into Shorts format.
Manual editing — Download your own video (or use screen recording for others with permission) and edit in CapCut, Premiere, DaVinci Resolve, or similar software.
Livestream clipping — Many streaming setups and third-party tools still make it easy to grab highlights during or right after a stream.
Why Clipping Still Matters for Growth
Whether you’re using Studio’s Video Clips tool or external apps, short highlights remain one of the most effective ways to:
Attract new viewers who might not commit to a 20-minute video
Repurpose long-form content across platforms
Boost overall channel watch time when people click through from the short version
Give your community easy ways to share the best moments
The key is choosing moments that work on their own—strong reactions, clear takeaways, funny lines, dramatic reveals—and pairing them with a clear title or caption.
FAQ
No. Since April 2026, the ability for viewers to create new Clips has been removed. Existing Clips made before the change can still be watched and shared if you have the link. For sharing specific moments now, use the “share at timestamp” option.
Old Clips were lightweight, shareable 5–60 second segments created by anyone; they lived as special links that looped on the original video’s page and were not separate uploads. Video Clips in Studio are full videos that creators cut from their own content and publish as new entries on their channel, complete with titles, descriptions, thumbnails, and monetization potential.
Even though viewer Clips are largely gone, creators can still control related settings in YouTube Studio under Channel → Advanced settings. For the new Video Clips tool, you simply choose which of your own videos to clip from—there’s no need to “turn it off” for others.
With the old system, watching a Clip contributed to the original video’s metrics. With the new Studio Video Clips, the new video has its own view count and analytics. Timestamp shares send people to the original, so those views go to the source video.
Yes. Once you’ve created and published a Video Clip (or any long-form segment), you can further edit or reformat it into a Short using YouTube’s Shorts tools or external editors. YouTube has also indicated it will expand Video Clips support more directly into the Shorts experience.
