Hands-On with Instagram Edits, Meta’s Answer to CapCut

In January, amid all the turmoil with TikTok and its foggy future in the U.S., Meta announced a new video editing tool called Edits to take on CapCut, a popular video editing app by the TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance. After months of wait, the Instagram Edits app is now available for everyone.

Edits is more than a video editing app from Instagram, it’s an ideation, analytics, and project management tool wrapped in one. Designed for Instagram content creators. That is why when you first open the app, you will be asked to link it to your Instagram account. A trait shared with Capcut that links to TikTok. I downloaded the app myself, and here’s what I noticed in my hands-on with the app.

Hands-On with Instagram Edits

The app has a pretty simple layout, where you use the bottom toolbar to navigate between sections. Starting from the left, you have your Collections, where you will find saved Reels, stickers, and notes. The one next to it is a Reels page to find the right idea you were looking for. Once you find the right pick, you can “Use audio”, save to your collection, or tap the note icon next to jot down your idea.

The middle section contains all your projects and is also where you can start new ones. The section on its right lets you record videos directly from the app. It gives you the option to choose resolution, FPS, add music, add a green screen, or any other effects. The rightmost page shows your Insights.

As you can tell already, the app caters most to Reel creators on Instagram. A notion that Instagram Head, Adam Mosseri, shared on his Instagram post upon the launch of the app.

Taking a look at the editing tools, it is pretty much similar to Instagram’s built-in video editor. You add photos or videos, add music, transitions, effects, stickers, and all sorts of basic stuff. The only new additions I spotted were an AI tool to animate subjects, a subject cutout tool, and a green screen. I tried using the AI animation, but it was taking quite a while, so I gave up on it after waiting for a good 10 minutes.

Honestly, I also found it to be quite basic for a standalone editing tool, even if it is strictly oriented towards Reel creators. But Mosseri has promised that more features are to be added later down the line. These upcoming features include keyframes, collaborations, and more AI editing options.

Given the popularity of Reels, I think it’s a good move to come out with a linked editing app. I wish they had done it sooner. While I am not a creator myself, I know many of those who will find Edits quite helpful. Especially with the ideation process. It is available for both Android and iPhone, and you can try out the app yourself. If you have tried the app, then let us know your thoughts on it.