Instagram is developing a new video editing app for creators, the company head Adam Mosseri announced in a post this week. The upcoming app, called Edits, is slated to include a higher-quality camera mode as well as statistics on how each Reel performs. However, in the comments section, some creators called the app a CapCut clone, while others used the comments to ask for the old square profile back.
Edits is designed for creators who use their smartphones to edit videos, Mosseri said. While the app is designed by Instagram, Mosseri noted the potential to use the edited videos on other platforms – as Edits will have the ability to export without a watermark.
The app, which is slated for a March launch, will be organized into four tabs. The first will be a space for generating ideas, including finding trending audio. Another tab will house a dedicated space for drafts, while another will contain data on how Reels are performing on Instagram.
The app will also contain a higher quality camera mode, Mosseri said, revealing that his announcement video was shot with that higher quality camera. The Instagram app currently compresses videos, resulting in a lower quality than footage shot with the smartphone’s native camera app.
Screenshots of the upcoming app show the option to record in 2K HDR at up to 60fps; however, the description says those videos are shared on Instagram in FullHD. The higher resolution, then, is likely for exports.
Several commenters pointed out that the announcement came as CapCut, TikTok’s video editing app, was shut down in the US (it has since been restored as the TikTok ban deadline was extended). But in another comment, Mosseri noted several differences, including insights into how a Reel is performing, a place to track ideas, and “a much broader range of creative tools.”
Mosseri didn’t skip over the impact the current political climate has made, on not just technology but social media in general, as TikTok temporarily shut down in the US before receiving an extension and as Meta cuts fact-checking programs in the US.
“Now, there’s a lot going on in the world right now and no matter what happens, we think it's our job to create the most compelling creative tools for those of you who make videos for not just Instagram but for platforms out there as we can,” Mosseri said in the video. “And Edits is hoping to do just that. And it's hoping not just to be an editing tool but an entire full suite of creative tools for those of you who are passionate about making videos on your phone.”
Others used the comments section to criticize the app’s recent changes. Several users asked the Instagram head to bring back the iconic Instagram square profile, after the app switched to a vertical aspect ratio earlier this month. “Please read the room. We are exhausted,” one creator wrote while another noted they were “collecting curveballs like Pokemon.”
The app store lists a March 13 expected availability, but Mosseri notes that “we’re going to work with a handful of video creators to get their feedback and improve the experience” ahead of that launch.
Edits is available for pre-order now from the App Store; the app is listed as free. Mosseri noted that an Android launch would follow.
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