How to Make a YouTube Short (Phone and Computer, 2026)

To make a YouTube Short on your phone, open the YouTube app, tap Create, then Short. Hold or tap the capture button to record, tap Done to add sounds, text, or effects, tap Next to add a title and settings, then tap Upload Short. To make one from a computer, edit a vertical or square video up to 3 minutes long in any editor, then upload it in YouTube Studio with Create, Upload videos. These steps come from YouTube's Create YouTube Shorts and Upload YouTube Shorts help pages, which we checked on November 6, 2026.

The rest of this guide covers each route in more detail, the length and music rules that catch people out, and a few habits that make Shorts worth the time.

How to make a YouTube Short in the app

The app's Shorts camera is the fastest route. From YouTube's Create YouTube Shorts page:

1. Sign in to the YouTube app.
2. Tap Create (the plus button), then Short.
3. Hold or tap the capture button to record, and tap again to stop. You can record several clips in a row. The control in the upper-right corner changes how long the Short can be.
4. Add music, filters, or effects. Undo removes the last clip and Redo brings it back. If you need to stop, tap Close and choose Save and exit to keep a draft.
5. Tap Done to preview, and add sounds, text, text-to-speech, or other effects.
6. Tap Next. Add a title (up to 100 characters), pick the visibility, and say whether the Short is made for kids. The same page mentions a Get feedback option that comments on your hook and pacing.
7. Tap Upload Short, or save it as a draft.

You can also pick clips from your camera roll instead of recording in the app. That's handy if you filmed on a better camera or want to cut clips from a longer video you already made.

One default to know: YouTube's help page says Shorts from creators 18 and older go up as public unless you change it, and creators aged 13 to 17 default to private. If you want to check how a Short looks first, switch it to private or unlisted before you tap upload.

How to make a YouTube Short on a computer

There's no Shorts camera on desktop. You edit the video somewhere else, then upload it. YouTube treats it as a Short based on its shape and length, not on a button you press.

From the Upload YouTube Shorts page:

1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
2. Click Create, then Upload videos.
3. Pick a video file that is up to 3 minutes long, with a square or vertical aspect ratio. You can select up to 15 at once.
4. Click Edit draft on each one to finish the details, then publish.

The upload flow is the same as for a normal video, so the settings in our guide on how to upload a video to YouTube (made for kids, AI disclosure, visibility) apply here too.

For editing on a computer, set your project to a vertical frame. YouTube's pages only say "square or vertical", so 9:16 is the usual choice because it fills a phone screen. YouTube's create page lists a maximum Shorts resolution of 1080p, so 1080 x 1920 pixels is a safe export size.

YouTube Shorts length and format rules

This is where most confusion comes from, because older guides still say 60 seconds. YouTube's three-minute Shorts page says:

If you'd rather make videos than read about it, VidPuff turns a title into a faceless video. No waitlist, cancel anytime.

That last row matters. A 50-second Short with a claimed song might still play, but at 70 seconds the same claim blocks it everywhere and it earns nothing. If your Short runs past a minute, YouTube suggests royalty-free tracks from the YouTube Audio Library, which it says won't get a Content ID claim.

If you want a video to stay out of the Shorts feed, give it a wide frame. The same page says to use 16:9 for long-form videos.

Before you post: what makes a Short worth making

Getting a Short online is easy. Getting people to watch it to the end is the hard part. A few things that help:

Start with the point. People scroll past in a second or two. Open with the payoff, the question, or the most surprising frame, not an intro or a logo.

Put text on screen. Many people watch with the sound off. Short captions or a one-line title on screen keep them following.

Loop the ending. Shorts replay automatically. An ending that flows back into the first frame earns a second view without the viewer doing anything.

Keep it as short as the idea allows. Three minutes is the limit, not a target. A tight 30-second Short usually beats a padded 90-second one. And remember the one-minute line for music claims.

Post on a schedule you can keep. YouTube's own Shorts upload tips say regular posting matters more than special gear, and that you can do it all from your phone.

Can Shorts make money?

Yes, once you're in the YouTube Partner Program. YouTube's expanded YPP page lists two Shorts routes. The first tier needs 500 subscribers, 3 valid public uploads in the last 90 days, and 3 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. Ad revenue sharing needs 1,000 subscribers and 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days (or 4,000 watch hours on long videos in 12 months).

Shorts earn far less per view than long videos, though. We compared the numbers in YouTube Shorts vs long form, and our guide on how to make money on YouTube Shorts covers the revenue pool in detail.

That's why many channels use Shorts as a trailer and keep long videos as the main product. If you want help on the long-form side, VidPuff turns a title into a 16:9 video: it writes the script, adds narration, a visual for each scene, music, and captions, and you review and change each stage before you upload. It makes long-form only, not Shorts, so you'd still cut Shorts yourself with the steps above.

FAQ

How long can a YouTube Short be?

Up to 3 minutes, in a square or vertical format, for videos uploaded after October 15, 2024 (YouTube Help). Before that, the limit was 60 seconds, which is why some guides still say one minute.

How do I make a YouTube Short from an existing video?

Cut a section of the video into a vertical or square clip of 3 minutes or less and upload it as a normal video, either through YouTube Studio on a computer or by picking it from your camera roll in the app's Short flow. YouTube classifies it as a Short based on its shape and length (YouTube Help).

Why is my Short showing up as a regular video?

Usually because it's wider than square (for example 16:9) or longer than 3 minutes. Either one makes YouTube treat it as a long-form video, according to the three-minute Shorts page.

Can I use any song in a YouTube Short?

You can use songs from the Shorts audio library, but most are limited to 90 seconds and some to 60 or 30. If your Short is over one minute and gets any copyright claim, it's blocked until the claim is resolved, so royalty-free tracks from the YouTube Audio Library are the safer pick for longer Shorts (YouTube Help).