The history of reversed video dates back to the first days of cinema, and many directors, from Cristopher Nolan to John Carpenter, have used the trick for different purposes. But no matter if you want to shoot your own version of TENET or create a comedic effect, you might need to learn how to reverse a video.
In this article, we’ll list nine ways to reverse a video on desktop and mobile — and we’ll give you tools of different complexity to do the job.
Why would you need to learn how to reverse a video?
Learning how to put a video in reverse means more opportunities for making unique visuals, which is especially important for younger musicians and other creators trying to promote their work. Here’s where reversed footage can come in handy:
- Making a smart pop culture reference. We already mentioned TENET, but it’s not the only film that uses reverse motion. For example, this reverse-developing Polaroid picture from Memento or the self-repairing car from Christine are just as iconic.
- Creating a dream-like feeling. If your music can be described as “dreamy” or “haunting”, using reverse motion combined with slow-mo in music videos or Instagram Reels can be a great choice for your promotional materials.
- Avoiding repetition. Many artists use multiple short videos on YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok with the same one or two snippets from their upcoming songs for promotion. The problem is that if you overdo this type of promo, you may come off as repetitive and annoying. Using reverse motion is a nice way to spice up your promotional visuals — and your subscribers’ social media feeds.
Now that you know some curious use cases of reversed videos, let’s go learn which video reverser tools can do the job with flying colors.
How to reverse a video: online methods
In a pinch and have no time to install and learn convoluted software for experienced video editors? Try some of these online methods that only require a device with internet access and a browser of your choice.
Clideo
Clideo is a website that offers a bunch of mini video editing tools for resizing, muting or adding music to videos — and, of course, a video reverser. It’s a beginner-friendly tool that does the job pretty quickly, supports all video formats, allows you to also adjust the speed of your reversed video, and is surprisingly generous limit-wise. A whopping 500 MB file size limit for non-registered users, how cool is that?
So, if you want to make a “guy appearing meme” in no time, Clideo is the best option for you.
Kapwing
Kapwing is a web editor similar to Canva but for videos. Unlike Clideo, it’s feature-rich, and its toolbar is crammed with a lot of stuff from adding color filters similar to those on Instagram to adding text, making transitions between clips, and a lot more. Maybe it’s not a no-brainer choice if you need to just reverse a video — but if your video editing task is a bit more complex, give Kapwing a shot.
As we mentioned, the tool’s menu is packed with options, which can be a bit confusing. Here’s where to find a video reverser in case you got lost too.
Videobolt
Videobolt is a fancy B2B video editing tool with a bunch of templates for brand logo animations and other stuff. However, the company also offers several small tools for free, with no registration — and, most importantly, no watermarks. So, if you don’t want your end result to have a random editing tool logo, use Videobolt.
The tool has two downsides, though: it doesn’t support a lot of video formats like .mkv and it has no in-built customization for video speed and audio muting.
How to reverse a video on desktop
Maybe you don’t have a stable internet connection right now or you’re looking for a more powerful editing app — either way, you might like our selection of desktop tools for reversing videos.
EaseUS
EaseUS is a relatively simple video editing desktop app for Windows. It supports many video formats, offers a bunch of filters and color correction options similar to Lightroom, several AI-powered features, and more cool stuff. Although the paid version has a lot more in store and the trial is limited, you can still use it for editing shorter videos like social media promo clips. And, if you want to use reverse motion, simply click on the checkbox in the editing menu.
Icecream Video Editor
Icecream Video Editor is a free video editing app for Windows that does all the jobs your video editing software should do — transitions, speed change, rotating, resizing, recording voice-overs, you name it. Its in-built video reverser is easy to find in the Scene Settings menu.
Although the app has a paid version, its free plan is fully functional and offers all you need for video editing, including the reverse motion feature. Delicious!
MiniTool Movie Maker
MiniTool Movie Maker is a video editing app that has a limit of 2 minutes for exported video if you’re a free user. While it may not be enough for music videos, vlogs, recorded DJ sets, and other longer formats, it can be a great choice for those only using editing software for short-form video content.
The video reverser is just as simple and straightforward as in other editors from the list — simply click the checkbox and you’re good to go.
How to reverse a video on iPhone and Android
The web video editors will work wonders on mobile browsers. However, if you need an app that works offline or a more feature-rich tool with a mobile-friendly UI, consider checking out some of these tools.
VN Video Editor
VN is a powerful video editing app for Android and iOS that allows you to do many things, including reverse motion. One of its most useful features for those posting video content on social media is changing aspect ratios without visual distortions — this will allow you to easily adapt the same video for Instagram Stories, Twitter/X, and other platforms with different requirements.
CapCut
CapCut is the best video editing app for TikTok creators — it’s owned by Bytedance, TikTok’s parent company, so both platforms naturally get along. It’s available both for iOS and Android and it has a relatively simple interface, which is great for newbies in video editing.
The menu looks a bit similar to VN — just scroll until you find the “Reverse” button.
Funimate
Funimate is yet another beginner-friendly video editing software that will help you learn how to reverse a video on Android or iPhone. It stands out among other editors we mentioned because it also offers motion design and animations. These makeshift special effects may come off as a bit cringey but aren’t we still reviving the over-the-top Y2K aesthetics on the internet?
Bonus mobile method: Snapchat
Snapchat, like Instagram, has an in-built, although not sophisticated, video editing tool. And, you guessed it, the platform offers a video reverser as well! Here’s how to reverse a video on Snapchat:
- Record a video using the in-built Snapchat recorder — make sure it’s under 10 seconds!
- Swipe left to find the Reverse filter — its logo looks like three arrows pointing to the left.
- Enjoy your reversed video.
This method, however, is very limiting — but if you have a Snapchat account where you promote your music, why not?
Wrapping up
If you’re an experienced video editor looking for a reverse motion tool, you can use your regular professional software like After Effects. However, if you only need to do it once for a social media post, there’s no need to download a pirated version of a large app that would probably be too confusing for a beginner. Use some of these tools instead — mobile editors to do the job on the go, desktop apps for working offline, and web tools just to get things done in one click.
Good to know:
How to reverse a video on Android without an app?
To reverse a video on Android without an app, use your mobile browser to access web editors like Videobolt.
Can you reverse videos on TikTok?
TikTok’s in-built video editing tool has a video reverser. To reverse a video on TikTok, go to Effects > Time, and choose the Reverse option.
