On 22 April 2025 Meta released Edits, a free mobile video editor under the Instagram banner. The company says it wants creators to shoot, trim and publish short clips in one place instead of jumping between apps. The announcement arrived through a company blog post and an in-app banner to Reels creators.
Before launch Meta worked with a small group of testers, gathering ideas and polishing the interface over many months. Feedback during that phase focused on quicker trimming and smoother audio syncing, two features now baked into the public build.
The app records up to ten minutes in portrait or horizontal view, places each segment on a frame-accurate timeline and exports without any watermark. That limit covers the length of most Reels and Shorts today.
Finished clips can transfer straight to Instagram or leave the phone at full quality for sharing on other feeds, and the lack of a stamp means audiences never learn which tool shaped the clip.
How Does Edits Streamline Creation?
Separate note-taking, camera and editing apps can slow down production, so Edits pulls those tasks into one dashboard where idea lists sit beside work-in-progress reels.
Before filming, a timer, touch up slider, green screen and AI image animation sit next to the shutter control, trimming set-up time; after recording each segment drops onto the timeline, where clip-level trimming, colour tweaks and cut-outs update instantly to keep creators in rhythm.
A live panel under the preview window shows skip rate, watch time and trending audio, allowing a filmer to shorten an intro or pick a stronger soundtrack before sending the clip live; sharp export gives users confidence to send the same file to TikTok or YouTube Shorts.
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How Does It Match Up Against CapCut?
TikTok’s CapCut dominates mobile editing, so Instagram set out to match its desktop-style workspace on a phone screen. Edits opens with a timeline rather than a template carousel, a decision seasoned editors praise for precision and control. Early users note the accuracy of AI-driven cut-outs and add that tiny captions stay crisp even after multiple renders.
CapCut still wins favour with an extensive sound catalogue and motion presets; Edits counters with a large licensed library linked to Instagram Reels and an inspiration feed that surfaces tracks already trending on that platform.
Lawmakers in Washington continue to discuss a possible TikTok ban, which could pull CapCut from US app stores overnight, whereas Edits would stay available; Meta has reminded agencies of this scenario in hopes of drawing more creators into its ecosystem.
What Upgrades Are Planned?
Engineers are building frame-marker controls that let editors adjust timing and motion down to the single frame. An upcoming AI prompt bar will swap colour palettes and moods through one line of text, turning a sunny scene into twilight without new footage.
Draft links are due soon, allowing friends or brand partners to add notes in the cloud instead of trading large files, and shared projects will live on remote servers so a phone crash on one side will not destroy the cut.
Anyone with an Instagram login can download Edits on iOS or Android and start filming today, and the company says it will keep shaping the app with creator feedback; early feedback from this full release will guide the next round of tweaks and new themes.
Creators will see new fonts, transitions and royalty-free music appear in updates already listed on the roadmap. Meta has not given an exact timeline for these upgrades, though updates are expected every few weeks.
