Preview from Photos or Files
Open a video or photo from your iPhone and preview it — zoom, frame-step, grab stills, and check overlays, with no computer needed.
Preview from Photos or Files
Preview from Photos or Files lets you open a video or photo already on your iPhone — from your Photos library or from the Files app — and preview it in the same player you use for live streaming — no Mac, no PC, no Wi-Fi. It's the quickest way to check a render, review footage on a real handheld screen, or test how a clip sits inside a social layout.
This mode needs no connection to Premiere Pro or After Effects — it works entirely on your phone.
Opening a video or photo
On the home screen, tap Preview from Photos or Files, then choose Photo Library or Files. It opens immediately in the player.
What you can do
Once it's loaded, you get the same tools as a live stream:
- Pinch to zoom — zoom into any part of the frame to inspect detail, and keep going further than the Photos app normally allows. Double-tap to zoom in and out, and pan around while zoomed.
- Step frame by frame — use the transport controls to move one frame at a time and check a specific moment.
- Check the layouts — switch on any layout overlay (TikTok, Reels, Shorts, or Universal Safe Zone) to see how the clip will look framed for social, captions and rails included.
- Grab stills — tap the save button to export the current frame (with the overlay, if one is active) to your Photos library.
When to use it
- Reviewing an exported render on your phone before you post it.
- Checking that a vertical clip's action stays clear of platform UI.
- Looking at colour and framing on a real device, away from your desk.
- Trying the app's preview tools before you start a live stream.
When you're ready to mirror your edit live from your computer instead, head to Connect your iPhone.