# How to trim a recording before processing with TextPort

## Quick answer

On the **Trim Recording** screen:

1. Drag the left yellow handle to where the chat starts.
2. Drag the right yellow handle to where the chat ends.
3. Watch the clip. It plays only the part you kept.
4. Tap **Start Processing**.

The chat then shows in **Saved Chats**.

## What you need

- TextPort on your iPhone
- A screen recording you just made in TextPort or picked from Photos

## Steps

1. Find the yellow bar

   **Trim Recording** opens after you stop a recording or pick a video. The yellow bar is your whole video.

2. Drag the left handle

   Drag it to the right, to where the chat starts. A yellow box shows the new length.

3. Drag the right handle

   Drag it to the left, to where the chat ends.

4. Watch the clip

   It plays the part you kept, again and again.

   Tip: To pause or play it, tap the play button.

5. Tap **Start Processing**

   It is the blue button at the bottom. TextPort shows **Processing screen recording...**.

6. Keep TextPort open

   Wait until **Creating new chat...** is done. Then the chat opens.

## Done

TextPort reads the part you kept. The new chat shows in Saved Chats.

## Problems

| What you see | What to do |
| --- | --- |
| The handles stop before they meet. | The clip must be at least 1 second long. Leave a little more of the video. |
| **Clip limit reached** | The recording reached the time limit and stopped by itself. Tap **OK**. Process this part. Then record the rest of the chat. |
| **Unable to Load Video** | Tap **Try Again**. If it still fails, tap **Cancel**, then **Discard Recording**. Record the chat again. |
| **Video Trimming Failed** | Tap **OK**. Go to **Saved Chats**. Tap **Continue** next to **Unfinished recording**. Then tap **Start Processing** again. |
| You left TextPort before you tapped **Start Processing**. | The recording is kept. In **Saved Chats**, tap **Continue** next to **Unfinished recording**. |
| None of these match. | Email [support@textportapp.com](mailto:support@textportapp.com). Say which step you were on. Say what you saw. We usually reply within a day. |

## Questions

### Can I skip trimming?

Yes. Tap **Start Processing** without moving the handles. TextPort reads the whole video.

### Does TextPort read only the part I kept?

Almost. It also keeps up to 2 seconds before and after the part you kept.

### Can I cut out a part in the middle?

No. You can trim only the start and the end. Record again if the middle is wrong.

### How do I delete the recording?

Tap **Cancel** in the top left. Then tap **Discard Recording**. This deletes the recording.

### Why trim at all?

The home screen and other apps at the start and end can turn into extra messages. Trimming leaves only the chat.

## Next guides

- [How to record your screen with the TextPort recorder](https://textport.com/guides/record-your-screen-with-the-textport-recorder.md): You will have a screen recording of a chat, open in TextPort and ready to process.
- [How to import a screen recording from Photos with TextPort](https://textport.com/guides/import-a-screen-recording-from-photos.md): You will get a saved chat in TextPort from a screen recording that is already in Photos.
- [How to import a chat with Scroll Capture in TextPort](https://textport.com/guides/import-a-chat-with-scroll-capture.md): You will get a chat from any app saved in TextPort, made from a screen recording of you scrolling.

TextPort guide for iPhone. Updated 2026-11-10. Web page: https://textport.com/guides/trim-a-recording-before-processing