Instagram has launched a new video-editing app called Edits, which appears to be a clone of CapCut, a popular app used by millions of people to create short videos for TikTok. The move comes ahead of the federal law banning TikTok in the US, which took effect on Sunday.
Instagram’s head of innovation, Adam Mosseri, announced the launch of Edits in a post on the platform, saying that the company aims to provide creators with “the most compelling creative tools” despite the current uncertainty. The app is designed specifically for creators to edit videos on their phones and save ideas for other videos.
Edits allows users to work on videos and post them to any platform they want, not just Instagram. This feature is particularly significant as influencers often use CapCut to create content for multiple platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
The launch of Edits comes as Meta, the parent company of Instagram, prepares for a potential migration of TikTok users to its apps. Mark Zuckerberg has talked about the need for American tech firms to come first in the tech race against China, and Instagram has been preparing for this eventuality by changing its layout to resemble TikTok.
According to recent surveys, if TikTok were banned, most US internet users would likely watch Instagram Reels, with 29% of respondents preferring it. Among advertisers, 56% said their clients wanted to advertise on Reels, while 24% favored YouTube Shorts. The launch of Edits may further solidify Instagram’s advantage in the short-form video market.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/19/technology/instagram-video-app-tiktok-ban.html