Rotating a video in Windows 11 isn’t as tricky as it used to be. The built-in Photos app is pretty handy for this sort of thing, but sometimes its steps aren’t totally clear, especially when you’re trying to get it right without losing quality or mucking up the file. Here’s what’s worked after a bit of fiddling around—might be a bit odd, but it gets the job done.
How to Rotate a Video in Windows 11
The easiest way is to use the Photos app, but heads up—sometimes it only wants to work on certain formats or the first try. When it does work, it’s quick, and you end up with a new file with your video rotated. The steps aren’t always straightforward, so here’s what’s helped to keep it simple.
Step 1: Open the Photos App
First, find the Photos app. On Windows 11, it’s usually pinned to your Start menu or you can search for Photos. Once it’s open, make sure it’s up to date—older versions can cause weird bugs. Head to the Microsoft Store, open Library, and click Update if needed.
Step 2: Import Your Video
Drag your video into the Photos app or hit Import in the top right corner. If dragging doesn’t work straight away, try the menu path Settings (the three dots top right) > Import from device. Make sure your video format is supported (like .MP4, .AVI, etc.)—unsupported formats might just not show up. (Yep, Windows still makes you jump through hoops sometimes.)
Step 3: Enter the Editing Mode
Click on Update & Create (top menu), then choose Trim. It sounds odd because Trim isn’t really about trimming these days, but that’s the trick to get to the rotation tools during editing. Pro tip: on some PCs, the interface feels a bit sluggish or the rotate button isn’t obvious—don’t get frustrated if it takes a few goes.
Step 4: Rotate Your Video
In the editing window, look for the rotate icon—usually a circular arrow. Click it once or twice (each click rotates 90°). If it still looks sideways or upside down, keep clicking until it’s the right way up. Note: Sometimes the rotation only shows in the preview, and it’s actually saved when you hit save. Double-check the preview before saving.
Step 5: Save the Rotated Video
Hit Save a copy. This keeps your original safe and creates a new file. Pick a folder, give it a name, and wait. It can take a bit if your video’s big or your PC’s running a bit slow (or Windows is having an off day).
And that’s it — your rotated video is ready to roll. Usually, the quality stays decent, but if you did a big rotation (not just 90°), give it a quick check to make sure everything looks alright.
Tips for Rotating a Video in Windows 11
- Always back up your original file—Windows can be a bit finicky.
- Make sure the Photos app is up to date to avoid bugs. Sometimes reinstalling or updating fixes odd glitches.
- If the rotated video looks funny, try rotating in smaller steps—like 90°, check, then rotate again if needed. Weird, but it can help.
- Keyboard shortcut to try: Ctrl + R. You might get lucky and rotate quickly in the Photos app or preview.
- If Photos isn’t cooperating, give VLC a shot (it can rotate and save videos easily). For batch edits, specialised tools work better.
FAQs
Can I rotate a video without Photos?
Absolutely. VLC Media Player is a good shout. Just open your video in VLC, go to Tools > Effects & Filters, then Video Effects > Geometry. Check Transform and choose your rotation angle, then save it as a new file. Much easier and more flexible.
Supported formats?
Photos handles MP4, AVI, WMV, and some MOV files. If your video’s in a rare format, you can convert it beforehand with tools like HandBrake.
Will rotating ruin the quality?
Generally not, if you do it right. But if you rotate multiple times or keep re-saving, quality can take a hit. Best to rotate once and save your new file.
Multiple videos at once?
Unless you script it with something like ffmpeg, Photos only handles one at a time. For batch work, ffmpeg commands like ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "transpose=1" output.mp4 do the trick.
Undo mistakes?
If you stuff up, just reopen the original and try again. If you’ve saved over the original, recovery can be tricky unless you’ve got backups.
Summary of Steps
- Open the Photos app
- Import your video
- Go to ‘Update & Create’ > ‘Trim’
- Click the rotate arrow to turn your video
- Save a new copy with the right way up
Hopefully, this helps. It can be a bit fiddly sometimes, but once you’re in the rhythm, it’s pretty straightforward. Just remember to keep a backup, don’t go overboard with rotations, and trust that sometimes Windows just needs a little nudge.
Final thoughts
Fingers crossed this makes things easier. Windows’ tools aren’t perfect, but with a bit of patience, you can get your videos sorted without having to install all sorts of software. Good luck fixing those sideways clips!
Summary
- Back up your original video
- Update the Photos app to dodge bugs
- Import and rotate with care—step by step
- Save and double-check the quality
- If needed, try VLC or ffmpeg for more control or bulk edits