iMovie: A Small Feature Opportunity With Big Ecosystem Potential

iMovie and vertical video: Why isn’t there an aspect-ratio option?

I recently created a movie in iMovie and wanted to format it for TikTok/YouTube Shorts. I expected to find an option to change the project frame or aspect ratio to 9:16, but I couldn’t find one.

It made me wonder: why doesn’t iMovie offer a simple aspect-ratio/canvas option for common formats such as 16:9 and 9:16?

Apple already has more advanced video-editing capabilities in Final Cut Pro, so it seems like this could potentially be incorporated into iMovie in a simplified way without turning iMovie into a professional editing application.

For users creating content across different platforms, having to export the movie from iMovie and then use another application simply to change the framing removes them from the Apple ecosystem, is a missed opportunity, and seems like unnecessary friction.

Apple already has a substantial collection of creative technologies. Making those technologies feel more connected and accessible could give users another reason to explore what Apple offers beyond its hardware.

Could a relatively small improvement to iMovie become a gateway into a much larger creative ecosystem—and a marketing opportunity for Apple?

I’m curious how other Apple users and creators see this.

Has anyone else run into this? Is there a reason iMovie doesn’t currently offer this capability, or is there a recommended Apple workflow I’m missing?