Google Vids: Turn Any Idea into a Video

Making a video used to take hours. You needed a script, footage, a voiceover, and editing skills. Most people gave up before they started.

Google Vids changes that. It is a free AI-powered video creator built right into Google. You type what you want, and it builds the whole video for you. No camera. No editing software. No experience required.

As of April 2026, Google Vids is open to anyone with a free Google account. You get 10 AI-generated video clips per month at no cost. This tutorial shows you exactly how to use it.

What Is Google Vids?

Google Vids is Google’s AI video creation tool. It lives at vids.new and works entirely in your browser. Think of it like Google Docs, but instead of writing a document, you are building a video.

You describe what you want. Gemini AI writes the script, organizes scenes, picks stock footage, and adds a narration. You can edit anything you do not like. Then you share or download the finished video.

It is designed for beginners. You do not need to know anything about video editing to use it.

Tip: Google Vids saves your videos directly to Google Drive, just like Docs and Sheets. They are always there when you need them.

Who Is It For?

Google Vids is a great fit for anyone who wants to make videos without complicated software. Here are the most common uses:

Use Case	Example
Work presentations	Turn a quarterly report into a short video for your team
Training and explainers	Create an onboarding video for new employees
Social media content	Make a short tutorial or product video for Instagram or LinkedIn
Personal projects	Build a birthday video, event recap, or travel highlight reel
Education	Summarize a lesson or assignment in video format

Free vs Paid: What Do You Get?

Here is a quick breakdown of what each plan includes:

Feature	Free (Google Account)	Google AI Pro ($19.99/mo)	Google AI Ultra ($249.99/mo)
AI video clips (Veo 3.1)	10 per month	50 per month	1,000 per month
AI voiceovers	Yes	Yes	Yes
Stock media library	Yes	Yes	Yes
AI music generation (Lyria 3)	No	Yes	Yes
Directable AI avatars	No	Yes	Yes
“Made with Veo” watermark	Yes	Yes	Removed (where permitted)
Max video length	10 minutes	10 minutes	10 minutes

Note: Each AI-generated video clip is 8 seconds long. To build a longer video, you combine multiple clips in the editor. The 10-minute project limit applies to the full finished video.

How to Use Google Vids: Step-by-Step Tutorial

This tutorial covers everything from opening Google Vids to exporting your finished video. Follow along one step at a time.

Step 1 Open Google Vids

Open your browser and go to vids.new. Sign in with your Google account if prompted. You do not need a paid subscription to get started.

You will land on the Google Vids home screen. This is where you choose how to start your video.

Step 2 Choose “Help me create”

Click the Help me create option. This is the AI-powered path. It uses Gemini to build your video from a text description.

You will see a prompt box appear. This is where you describe your video in plain language.

Tip: You can also choose Templates if you want a pre-made structure. There are over 50 templates for topics like tutorials, event invites, and announcements. For this tutorial, we use “Help me create” for the full AI experience.

Step 3 Describe your video in the prompt box

Type a description of the video you want. Be specific. The more detail you give, the better the result.

Here is an example prompt you can use:

“Create a 60-second video explaining the benefits of drinking more water every day. The tone should be friendly and motivating. The audience is busy adults who want quick health tips.”

You can also attach a Google Doc or Drive file using the @ symbol. This is useful if you already have a document with the content you want to turn into a video.

When you are ready, click Generate.

Step 4 Review the AI-generated storyboard

Gemini builds a full video storyboard in seconds. Each scene has suggested text, stock footage or images, and a script for the voiceover.

Scroll through the scenes. You will see:

A suggested headline or text for each scene
A stock image or video placeholder
A voiceover script underneath each scene
Background music selected automatically

You can accept the whole storyboard or change individual scenes. Nothing is locked in yet.

Tip: If you do not like a scene, click on it and type new instructions. For example: “Replace this scene with something about hydration during exercise.” Gemini will regenerate just that scene.

Step 5 Generate an AI video clip with Veo 3.1

This is where Google Vids gets really powerful. You can replace any stock image placeholder with a real AI-generated video clip.

Here is how:

Click on a scene in the storyboard.
On the right panel, click the Veo icon (a small video generation button).
Type a prompt describing the clip you want. For example: “A person filling a glass of water at a kitchen sink, natural lighting, close-up shot.”
Click Generate.
Wait a few seconds. Vids generates an 8-second AI video clip.
Click Insert to add it to your scene.

You can generate up to 10 clips per month on the free plan. Use them on your most important scenes.

Important: Free accounts receive a visible “Made with Veo” watermark on AI-generated clips. This is removed on the Google AI Ultra plan. The watermark does not appear on the rest of the video, only on Veo-generated clips.

Step 6 Add an AI voiceover

Google Vids can narrate your video automatically. When Gemini generates the storyboard, it creates a script for each scene. You can turn that script into a spoken voiceover in seconds.

Here is how to add or edit the voiceover:

Click on a scene.
In the right panel, click Voiceover.
You will see the generated script for that scene. Edit the text if needed.
Choose a voice style. Options include narrator, educator, coach, and more.
Click Generate voiceover.
The AI reads the script aloud and syncs it to the scene timing.

You can apply voiceovers to all scenes at once or customize each scene separately.

Tip: Read the script out loud before generating. If it sounds unnatural when you read it, it will sound unnatural when the AI reads it too. Short sentences always work best.

Step 7 Edit and customize your video

Now you polish your video. Google Vids gives you several ways to customize each scene:

What You Can Edit	How to Do It
Change stock footage	Click a scene and choose a different image or video from the content library
Add your own photos or videos	Click Insert and upload from your device or pull from Google Drive or Google Photos
Edit text overlays	Double-click any text on the canvas to edit it directly
Add transitions	Click between two scenes in the timeline and select a transition style
Add animations	Select a text or image element and choose from pulse, bounce, spin, and more
Change background music	Open the Audio panel and browse or search the stock music library
Reorder scenes	Drag scenes left or right in the timeline at the bottom of the editor

Step 8 Share or download your video

When your video is ready, you have a few options for getting it out into the world.

Option A: Share a link
Click the Share button in the top right. You can send a view-only link, just like sharing a Google Doc. The viewer watches it directly in their browser. No download needed.

Option B: Publish to YouTube
Click Share, then select Publish to YouTube. Your video uploads directly to your YouTube channel. It defaults to private, so you can review it before making it public.

Option C: Download as MP4
Click the menu icon at the top, then Download. Your video saves as an MP4 file you can use anywhere.

Tip: Use the YouTube publish option if you want to reuse the video across platforms. Download it from YouTube after publishing and share it anywhere you need.

Bonus: Record Your Screen Directly in Google Vids

You do not always need AI to generate footage. Google Vids has a built-in screen recorder. Use it to capture your screen, webcam, or both at the same time.

This is perfect for software tutorials, product demos, or step-by-step how-to videos.

Here is how to use it:

In the Google Vids home screen, click Record.
Choose what to record: your screen, your camera, or both.
Click Start recording. A countdown appears.
Do your demo or walkthrough.
Click Stop recording when you are done.
The recording drops into your Vids project automatically. You can trim and edit it like any other scene.

You can also install the Google Vids Screen Recorder Chrome extension to capture your screen from any tab in the browser and send the recording straight to Vids.

Tip: Use screen recording for the “showing” part and AI voiceover for the “telling” part. Combine them in the timeline for a polished explainer video with no extra software.

5 Tips for Better Google Vids Results

These tips will help you get better videos from your very first project.

1. Start with a clear purpose. Before you open Google Vids, decide one thing: who is this video for and what do you want them to do after watching? That clarity makes your prompt much stronger.

2. Use short prompts for each scene. If you let Gemini write the script, keep each scene to one idea. Long scenes with too much information feel rushed when narrated.

3. Add your own photos when you can. AI-generated footage is good, but your own images or screen recordings make the video more personal and trustworthy.

4. Preview before sharing. Always watch the full video in preview mode before sharing. Check that the voiceover matches the visuals and that transitions feel smooth.

5. Save your Veo credits for key moments. You only get 10 free AI clip generations per month. Use them on your most impactful scenes, not on every slide.

How Google Vids Compares to Other Tools

Tool	Free Plan	AI Video Generation	Best For
Google Vids	Yes (10 clips/month)	Yes (Veo 3.1)	Work videos, presentations, social content
Canva Video	Yes (limited)	Limited	Social media graphics with motion
CapCut	Yes	Yes (limited)	Short-form social videos
Synthesia	No (paid only)	Yes (avatars)	Corporate training with AI presenters
Runway	Yes (very limited)	Yes	Creative and cinematic AI video

For most beginners, Google Vids is the easiest starting point. It is free, browser-based, and connected to tools you probably already use, like Google Drive and Gmail.

If you use Google apps at work, you might also enjoy our guide on using Gemini in Gmail to write and reply to emails automatically. And if you are building automated workflows beyond video, check out how Make.com lets you automate your entire workflow without writing code. For a deeper look at Google’s AI assistant, our article on Gemini in Google Sheets shows how the same AI can turn raw data into charts with a single sentence.

Start Making Videos Today

You do not need a studio, a camera, or video editing skills to make a great video. Google Vids handles the hard parts for you.

Type what you want. Gemini writes the script. Veo generates the footage. An AI narrator reads it all out loud. You review, tweak, and share.

Go to vids.new right now and try it with a simple idea. A 60-second explainer, a short product intro, or even a welcome message for your team. Your first video takes about 10 minutes. The result will surprise you.

Up Next: Gemini in Google Meet: Get Full Meeting Summaries Without Taking Notes