Choose the operation for the problem
Trim changes a clip edge. Ripple also shifts downstream material. Roll moves the shared edit between neighbors while preserving their combined duration. Slip changes which source interval plays inside a fixed timeline position. Slide moves a clip while adjusting its neighbors.
For a long opening pause, ripple the start inward. For a cut that happens a little late between two adjacent shots, try a roll. For the wrong moment inside a correctly timed reaction shot, try a slip. Source handles limit extensions and slips.
Make a split first when needed
Select the clip and position the sequence playhead inside it. Use Timeline → Blade at Playhead (⌘B). Splitting creates pieces at the sequence position; it does not render new original files.
Ripple Delete closes the selected interval. Replace with Gap preserves its space. Check whether linked picture and audio are selected before removing a piece. A locked track prevents edits to its material.
Type a relative precision amount
Select the relevant clip or edit and open the precision-trim controls. Choose Operation, enter Amount, and press Return or Apply. The choices are Ripple In, Ripple Out, Roll, Slip, and Slide.
Typed Amount uses seconds for Ripple In/Out, Roll, and Slide; Slip uses frames. The nearby −5, −1, +1, and +5 buttons provide fine frame steps. Read the unit and explanation: source slips can use recorded-source frame units, while other fine steps use sequence frames. Negative values move earlier or shorten according to the chosen operation.
The Timeline → Trim menu offers small frame adjustments too. Try one step, play across the cut, and then make a larger change if required. A disabled Apply often indicates bounds, adjacency, locks, or an unsuitable selection.
Keep picture and sound intentional
Linked selection preserves related component behavior. Audio edit-offset controls can create a J-cut or L-cut by giving sound a different boundary while retaining source synchronization. Read the offset badge and review visible speech after the change.
Snapping helps align positions, while magnetic editing can move related downstream material. Check those states before extensive trims. Do not assume a clip's playhead position also means it is selected.
Review and preserve
Watch motion on both sides and listen for clipped syllables. Check the next cut and any title or overlay that depended on the original timing. Undo a mistaken committed edit with the timeline focused; text fields have their own Undo while typing.
Save a named version before large timing revisions. The iOS timeline guide explains touch grips, the clip list, and Precision Edit…, whose absolute Sequence frame input is different from this relative Amount control.