Amid the ongoing saga of TikTok’s availability in the U.S., Instagram has been working to position itself as the new home for TikTok users, by adding in longer Reels, and a more TikTok-like profile grid, among other tweaks.
And now, it’s also looking to offer a replacement for CapCut, the popular mobile video editing app, which is also owned by TikTok owner ByteDance, and thus, is also caught up in the TikTok ban (or not) push.
This is “Edits”, Instagram’s new, mobile video editing tool, which features “a full suite of creative tools,” according to IG chief Adam Mosseri.
Edits will offer a range of creative tools and inspirational resources, including:
- The ability to capture video up to 10 minutes, and store drafts all in one place for easy project management
- A timeline that enables more control over assembling your videos, including clip-level editing, auto-enhance features, and effects like green screen, overlays and transitions
- A dedicated tab for inspiration, including trending audio insights, and a real time overview of what’s popular in the app
- The option to record in higher quality, including HDR, 1080p, etc.
- Access to analytics to assess your content performance
Edits will also enable you to share drafts with friends and other creators from the app, while you’ll also be able to export your clips without a watermark, for use on other platforms.
So it’s CapCut, but Instagram’s version, providing a more comprehensive array of mobile editing tools for your Instagram Reels and clips.
In addition to this (and unsurprisingly), Meta’s also exploring expanded AI-powered tools for the app, including the ability to animate still images, and insert custom visual effects.
And while it’s very clearly an effort to scoop up CapCut users, and provide a landing spot for the TikTok audience, it’ll be a handy app to add to your social media management toolkit, providing a more direct means of editing and posting your Instagram Reels, with an expanded toolkit.
As such, whatever you may feel about Meta’s replication efforts, the end winner is us users, providing more options to enable enhanced editing and customization, and an alternative just in case CapCut does end up a casualty of the TikTok saga.
Which now looks like it’s not happening, with Trump offering assurances to save the app. But then again, Trump’s asking price to allow TikTok to remain in the U.S. could be high, so TikTok itself is not out of the woods yet.
Which is why this could be a valuable, and helpful addition, and another tool to keep in mind for your content process.
You can sign up to pre-order the app, which is set for release in March, here.
