Apps & Consumer
Meta updates Edits to challenge ByteDance’s CapCut
Meta is adding an upcoming AI assistant and desktop version to its Edits app to better compete with ByteDance’s CapCut and drive creator engagement.
Meta has previewed upcoming additions to its video-editing app, Edits, as it seeks to challenge ByteDance’s video-editing app, CapCut. At an invite-only creator event in Los Angeles on Wednesday, the company showcased new features, including an upcoming AI assistant and a desktop version of the previously mobile-only application. While some new tools are launching in the app today, the upcoming AI assistant is currently in testing with attendees of Thursday’s creator event, and the desktop version is coming soon.
Among the features launching today is a Beta tab, which provides creators with early access to experimental features still in development so they can provide feedback.
Although Meta did not share specific user numbers for Edits, the company released performance metrics highlighting the app’s traction. According to Meta, content created using Edits achieves the following engagement advantages compared to content not made on the app:
- A 10% higher save rate
- A 2% higher reshare rate
The company also stated that more than half of people watching reels—Instagram’s short-form video feature—are seeing Edits-created content every day.
The upcoming AI assistant will help creators analyze their insights and brainstorm ideas for their content. By integrating these tools directly, Meta aims to keep creators engaged on Instagram and reduce their reliance on external tools. The expansion to a desktop version will also give creators more precise control over the editing process. This strategy mirrors moves by competitors like TikTok and YouTube.
Why it matters
Meta is aggressively iterating on its creator tools to defend its ecosystem against ByteDance’s CapCut, betting that integrated AI and desktop workflows will keep creators within the Instagram loop.