Meta on Sunday announced a new video editing app called Edits, after ByteDance’s video editing app CapCut was pulled from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store as part of the TikTok ban.
Instagram head Adam Mosseri (pictured above) told Threads that the app will launch next month on iOS, with an Android version coming later. He added that the company is working with select creators to gather feedback about the app.
“Today we’re announcing a new app called Editing, for those of you who are passionate about creating videos on your phone. There’s a lot going on right now, but no matter what happens, it’s our job to deliver the best possible tools for creators,” he wrote.
Mosseri said the app will have a variety of creative tools, including a dedicated inspiration tab, a tab for keeping track of ideas and a high-quality camera. Plus, it will be possible to share draft versions of creations with friends or colleagues. He added that creators will be able to see insights into how videos made through Edits are performing on Instagram after publication.
In a separate post, he emphasized that the app is “more for creators than casual video makers,” which is hard to pin down in quantifiable terms.
Meta has historically made moves to fill gaps in the market. When TikTok was banned in India in June 2020, it launched a similar product, Instagram Reels, a few days later in early July. In 2023, the company also launched Threads, a rival to text-based social networks like X. The company likely realizes that many video creators will try another tool in the absence of CapCut. And even if the application is restored, the uncertainty will create opportunities for other tools.
Earlier this month, a16z-backed video editing app Captions switched to a freemium model to attract more users and challenge CapCut.
