Ijharul Islam
To stabilize a shaky video, run it through a stabilizer that tracks the camera's movement and shifts each frame to cancel it out: Stabilize in Google Photos on Android, the Stabilization button in iMovie on a Mac, Warp Stabilizer in Premiere Pro, or FFmpeg's free deshake and vid.stab filters on any computer. On a recent iPhone, Action mode prevents most shake while you film.
Every method crops or zooms slightly, because the shifted frames leave empty edges. Below are the steps for each, checked against Google, Apple, Adobe and FFmpeg documentation on 26 October 2026. More editing guides are in our video editing how-tos.
The short answer
Android: open the video in Google Photos, tap Auto, then Stabilize, and Save. Mac: in iMovie, select the clip, click the Stabilization button and tick Stabilize Shaky Video. Premiere Pro: apply Effects > Distort > Warp Stabilizer. FFmpeg: use the deshake filter, or vidstabdetect then vidstabtransform for better results. iPhone: film in Action mode.
Key takeaways
- Stabilizing crops the edges, so leave room around your subject when filming.
- Google Photos stabilizes on Android and saves a copy, keeping the original.
- Premiere's Warp Stabilizer needs the clip size to match the sequence, or a nested clip.
- FFmpeg's two-pass vid.stab usually beats one-pass deshake but needs a build with libvidstab.
- iPhone Action mode stabilizes while recording, at up to 2.8K.
Disclosure: we make QuickVeed and show how to do this in it, along with other ways. Details about other products come from their public pages, checked in October 2026 and linked at the end.
How do you stabilize a video on Android?
Google Photos has a built-in stabilizer. From Google's help page:
- Open the Google Photos app and open the video.
- Tap Auto.
- Tap Stabilize.
- Tap Save at the top to save a copy with the edit.
Google notes that video editing isn't available on non-Pixel Android devices running Android 9, and some tools need more RAM and a newer Android version. The app does the work on the phone, so a long clip takes a while.
How do you stabilize a video on iPhone?
Prevent the shake while filming. On supported models, Action mode gives improved stabilization in Video mode: tap the Action mode button to turn it on. Apple says it works best in bright light, offers an Action Mode Lower Light setting under Settings > Camera > Record Video, and records at up to 2.8K.
For footage you've already shot, move the clip to a computer and use iMovie on a Mac or one of the methods below.
How do you stabilize a video in iMovie on a Mac?
- Select the clip in the timeline.
- Click the Stabilization button in the adjustments bar.
- Tick Stabilize Shaky Video and wait for the analysis to finish.
- Drag the slider to set how much stabilization to apply, then play the clip to check it.
If straight lines wobble or lean when the camera pans (rolling shutter), tick Fix Rolling Shutter in the same controls and choose a correction level.
How do you stabilize a video in Premiere Pro?
- Select the clip in the timeline.
- In the Effects panel, open Video Effects > Distort and double-click Warp Stabilizer (or drag it onto the clip).
- Analysis starts straight away in the background; a banner shows when it moves on to stabilizing.
Adobe's note: Warp Stabilizer requires the clip's dimensions to match the sequence settings. If they don't, nest the clip and apply the effect to the nest. The effect's settings control how smooth the result is and how much it crops.
How do you stabilize a video with FFmpeg?
FFmpeg has two options. The quick one is the one-pass deshake filter, which fixes small horizontal and vertical shifts from hand-holding or a bumped tripod:
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf deshake -c:a copy output.mp4
For stronger shake, use vid.stab in two passes. The first analyzes the motion and writes transforms.trf; the second applies it. FFmpeg's documentation recommends adding the unsharp filter, since the correction softens the picture slightly:
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf vidstabdetect=shakiness=5:accuracy=15 -f null -
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf vidstabtransform=smoothing=10:input=transforms.trf,unsharp=5:5:0.8:3:3:0.4 -c:a copy output.mp4
| Option | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| shakiness (detect) | 5 | 1 to 10: how shaky the video is |
| accuracy (detect) | 15 | 1 to 15: detection accuracy |
| smoothing (transform) | 10 | Frames each side used to smooth the path (10 = 21 frames); 0 simulates a static camera |
| optzoom (transform) | 1 | Automatic zoom to hide borders; 2 adapts the zoom over time |
| tripod (transform) | 0 | 1 locks the view like a tripod |
vid.stab only works if FFmpeg was built with --enable-libvidstab; if you get 'No such filter', install a full build. Raise smoothing (say 30) for a smoother, more cropped result.
Which stabilizer should you use?
| Method | Cost | Device | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone Action mode | Free | Supported iPhones | Walking and action shots, before the fact |
| Google Photos Stabilize | Free | Android | Quick fixes to phone clips |
| iMovie | Free | Mac | Home and social video, plus rolling shutter |
| Premiere Warp Stabilizer | Premiere subscription | Windows, Mac | Professional edits |
| FFmpeg deshake / vid.stab | Free | Windows, Mac, Linux | Batch jobs and full control |
QuickVeed doesn't have a stabilizer. After stabilizing elsewhere, our free video cropper reframes the slightly zoomed result for 9:16 or 1:1, and the free video trimmer cuts the worst seconds instead of fixing them.
How do you film steadier video in the first place?
- Hold the phone with both hands, elbows against your body, and walk with bent knees.
- Use the main (1x) camera; zoomed lenses magnify shake.
- Shoot in good light: phone stabilization works better with faster shutter speeds.
- Lean on something, or use a cheap tripod or gimbal for talking-head videos.
- Shoot a little wider than you need, so stabilizing and cropping later don't cut into your subject.
Shake is one of several fixes; how to rotate a video, how to crop a video and how to compress a video cover the others.
Frequently asked questions
Can you stabilize a video after recording it?
Yes. Google Photos (Android), iMovie (Mac), Premiere's Warp Stabilizer and FFmpeg all stabilize existing footage.
Why does stabilizing zoom in on my video?
The stabilizer shifts frames to cancel the shake, leaving empty edges, so it crops or zooms to hide them. Stronger smoothing means more cropping.
How do I stabilize a video for free?
Use Google Photos on Android, iMovie on a Mac or FFmpeg on any computer: all are free.
Does iPhone have video stabilization?
Yes. Supported models have Action mode for improved stabilization while filming, recording at up to 2.8K.
What is the best FFmpeg stabilization filter?
vid.stab (vidstabdetect then vidstabtransform) usually gives smoother results than deshake, if your FFmpeg build includes libvidstab.
Try it with your own video
Once the footage is steady, caption it and cut it for every platform. Upload your stabilized video and add captions with the trial credits. QuickVeed plans start at $18/month, and new accounts get a 14-day trial with 250 credits, no card needed. Sign up or see pricing.
Sources
Competitor details in this post were checked against these public pages in October 2026. Products and prices change, so confirm with each vendor before you decide.
- Google Photos Help: edit your videos (Enhance and Stabilize on Android)
- Apple iPhone User Guide: record a video (Action mode)
- Apple iMovie User Guide (Mac): stabilize shaky clips
- Adobe Premiere Help: stabilize shaky footage with Warp Stabilizer (updated 1 Apr 2026)
- FFmpeg filters documentation (deshake, vidstabdetect, vidstabtransform, scale, unsharp)
