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YouTube Shorts Rolling Out Photo to Video Tool for Animating Photos Along With New Generative Effects

YouTube Shorts Rolling Out Photo-to-Video Tool for Animating Photos Along With New Generative Effects

YouTube will soon integrate Google's Veo 3 video generation model into the new features on Shorts.

Written by Shaurya Tomer, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 24 July 2025 13:57 IST

YouTube Shorts Rolling Out Photo-to-Video Tool for Animating Photos Along With New Generative Effects

Photo Credit: Pexels/ Szabo Viktor

The new features are rolling out in Australia, Canada, the US and select more regions

Highlights

Creators can animate still photos into videos with photo to video feature
Generative effects help turn doodles into images and selfies into videos
Features are rolling out in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zeland

YouTube on Wednesday announced new creation tools for Shorts to make the process of creating easier and fun. It introduces a new photo-to-video tool which lets creators turn photos from their camera roll into videos, using creative suggestions. They can animate and add movement to still photos, free of charge. Further, there are new generative edits which leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to add effects for transforming doodles into images and selfies into videos.

New Features on YouTube Shorts

In a blog post, YouTube said that the new photo-to-video feature in Shorts is powered by Google's Veo 2 video generation model. It can turn photos into videos. For example, creators can add movement to landscape photos, animate group photos, and everyday pictures.

It is available in YouTube Shorts at no extra cost. To turn images into videos, you need to select a photo from the camera roll, choose a creative suggestion, and tap on the Create video option. This feature is currently rolling out for creators in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the US.

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As per the company, it will also roll out integration of the latest Veo 3 video generation model in the coming months.

The tech giant is also introducing new effects. The feature, known as generative effects, lets you turn doodles into images. Further, you can also convert selfies into video clips with special effects. It is accessible via a sparkles icon the Shorts camera viewfinder.

It is also available in the same regions where photo-to-video is being rolled out. Google says this feature will also be expanded to more creators globally soon. Currently, generative effects in YouTube Shorts are also powered by Veo 2 video generation model but will soon have Veo 3 integration too.

To access all of the AI tools available in YouTube Shorts, the tech giant has a new AI playground. It offers all of the latest generative AI-powered creation tools, along with several templates for reference. There are also pre-filled prompts which can be used to quickly push out Shorts without much effort.

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Further reading: YouTube, YouTube Shorts, AI, Google, Veo 3, Veo 2

Shaurya Tomer

Email Shaurya Tomer

Shaurya Tomer is a Sub Editor at Gadgets 360 with 2 years of experience across a diverse spectrum of topics. With a particular focus on smartphones, gadgets and the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), he often likes to explore the industry's intricacies and innovations – whether dissecting the latest smartphone release or exploring the ethical implications of AI advancements. In his free time, he often embarks on impromptu road trips to unwind, recharge, and ...More