Meta’s new video editing app ‘Edits’ begins rollout, takes aim at CapCut
Originally scheduled for a February release, Edits is now live on Android and iOS.
There’s been a shift in how major platforms approach video creation. For years, creators relied on third-party tools to produce content. That started to change when Bytedance launched CapCut, the popular TikTok-affiliated video editor. Now, Meta is making its own move to bring the creative process in-house.
Earlier this year, around the time TikTok and other ByteDance apps were briefly removed from Apple and Google’s app stores, Meta took this as a cue to announce its own new editing tool called Edits, aimed at Instagram creators.
Emmanuel Oyedeji
Although the app missed its original February launch window, Edits is finally rolling out to users on both Android and iOS.
At first glance, Edits feels like Meta’s answer to CapCut, but it is designed with Meta’s platforms in mind. While CapCut is back in U.S. app stores, TikTok’s long-term future remains uncertain, and Meta appears ready to fill the gap if needed.
Oyinebiladou Omemu
The app offers a clean, mobile-first editing interface where users can shoot video, trim and arrange clips, add captions and trending audio, and publish directly to Meta’s platforms. It also allows watermark-free exports for sharing across other apps.
Beyond the basics, Edits includes features that go further. There’s a green screen feature to swap backgrounds, and AI-powered functions like animating static images or isolating people and objects with precision tracking. It’s designed to offer creators flexibility without requiring high-end software.
Meta has also added features to support the creative process itself, such as an Inspiration tab featuring trending Reels and sounds, an Ideas tab for saving content concepts, and built-in performance insights to track what resonates with audiences.
The company says this version is just the beginning. Upcoming features include Keyframes, which will allow users to animate movement, and Modify, an AI tool to shift a video’s style. More fonts, transitions, voice effects, and collaboration tools are also in development.
Of course, CapCut remains the giant in this space. By late 2023, it had over a billion downloads on Google Play and was used by roughly 25% of TikTok’s billion-plus users, generating an estimated $100 million last year. Meta has ground to cover. But with TikTok’s position under scrutiny, Meta is hoping creators will be open to switching—or at least staying closer to home on Instagram.
If you’re curious, Edits is free and available now in the App Store and Google Play.
