Can you add a border in iMovie?
Indirectly. Place the video as Picture in Picture over a solid background clip; the background shows round it like a border. On Mac you can also give the inset a coloured edge and a shadow.
Free · runs in your browser
How to add a border to a video in iMovie
iMovie can frame a clip using a background and Picture in Picture. Here are Apple’s steps for Mac and iPhone, what each version can and can’t do, and a faster option.
iMovie doesn’t have a border setting, but you can build one: put a solid Background clip on the timeline, lay your video over it as Picture in Picture, make it a little smaller, and the background becomes the border. On a Mac, Picture in Picture even adds an optional coloured edge and a shadow. On iPhone and iPad the same trick works with fewer options.
For a single clip, the tool at the top of this page is quicker and gives you more control: open the video, pick a look and a shape, then press Export video. It runs in Safari, so it also works on an iPhone without installing anything.
Add a border in iMovie on a Mac
From Apple’s iMovie User Guide for Mac.
Add a background
Place the playhead in the timeline, click Backgrounds above the browser, and double-click a background to add it. To change a solid colour, select it, click the Generator button above the viewer and click a colour well.
Put your video above it
Drag your clip from the browser to just above the background in the timeline, and let go when you see the green Add (+) icon.
Choose Picture in Picture
Select the clip above, click the Video Overlay Settings button above the viewer, and choose Picture in Picture from the pop-up menu.
Size it and add an edge
Drag a corner of the inset in the viewer to make it the size you want, centred on the background. Pick a border style, set its colour with the colour well, and tick Shadow if you like.
Apply and share
Click Apply, stretch the background to the clip’s length, then share or export the movie.
On iPhone and iPad
- In your project, tap Add Media, then Backgrounds, pick a colour and tap Add to Project.
- With the playhead over the background, tap Add Media again, choose your video, tap More (the three dots) and choose Picture in Picture.
- Pinch or use the controls in the viewer to size and position the inset.
- Tap the Border button if you want iMovie’s own edge on the inset, then tap Done.
On iPhone the border can only be turned on or off; Apple doesn’t document a colour or width setting. For a specific colour, a thicker edge or rounded corners, use the browser tool above.
Black bars with Fit
If you only need the video to keep its shape in a widescreen project, select the clip, click the Cropping button and choose Fit. iMovie adds black bars where the shapes don’t match. Crop to Fill does the opposite and cuts the edges off. Neither lets you choose the colour of the bars.
iMovie or the browser tool?
- iMovie: good when the border is part of a bigger edit with titles and music.
- The browser tool: one clip, a few seconds, per-side widths, rounded corners, blurred or gradient borders, square and vertical shapes, and a caption.
iMovie projects are widescreen 16:9. If the clip is going to Instagram or TikTok, it is easier to frame it here as a 4:5 Instagram post or a 9:16 vertical video.
iMovie border questions
How do I change the background colour in iMovie on Mac?
Select the background in the timeline, click the Generator button above the viewer, and click a colour well.
Why does iMovie add black bars to my video?
The Cropping setting is on Fit, which keeps the whole frame in a 16:9 project. Crop to Fill removes the bars by cutting the edges instead.
Can I make a square video in iMovie?
iMovie projects are 16:9, so not directly. Frame the finished clip here with Shape set to 1:1 instead.
Is Picture in Picture available on iPhone?
Yes. Add the background first, then add the video with More → Picture in Picture.