Edits Turns One: Instagram Doubles Down On Creator-First Video Tools

Edits, Instagram’s very own video editor application, turns one year old, marking a milestone for Instagram with regard to making video production easy but keeping the creator at the heart of everything that transpires in the entire development process.

The application was officially rolled out on April 22, 2025. The team behind Edits took a measured approach before release, repeatedly evaluating whether the product met the creative standards users had come to expect. Despite having more ideas in the pipeline, the decision was made to launch with a strong foundation of essential tools and improve it over time through feedback.

ALSO READ: Vivo X300 Ultra And X300 FE Launch In India Set For May 6: Here's What You Can Expect

Designed Around Tools That Seem Simple Yet Effective

Edits, since its inception, has always strived to improve the basics of video editing itself. This meant providing sophisticated tools that did not complicate the editing process.

Among its first set of tools was a teleprompter application within the app. This addressed a recurring problem creators faced when recording their videos. They could now read their scripts on screen by adjusting the font size and pace of the words appearing on the screen.

Over the past year, the app has rolled out more than 130 new features, with updates arriving on a regular basis. Looking ahead, planned improvements include better caption tools with bilingual support, more advanced colour controls, and enhanced speed adjustments. Personalisation will become more common in the tool as well to allow the user to customise the tool to suit their particular workflows.

Beyond The Edit: Stepping Up To A Complete Creative Suite

Edits aims not to be merely an editor but to represent the complete creative suite because it features everything that production entails in one single application.

The introduction of a new Ideas tab serves this purpose well since it provides users with saved videos, audio tracks, and notes at the same time. Through usage of the app, it learns about the user and creates a personalised feed, insights on comments, and suggested content every week.

Upcoming developments include even more personalisation options for users, such as pinned tools, follower insights, and customised project themes.

Brett Westervelt expressed, "In year two, we’ll keep making our core tools better, with meaningful upgrades coming for captions (including bilingual captions), advanced color adjustments, speed curves and more. We’re also working toward making most tools customizable, so you can start with what’s there and tune it exactly how you like."

Community Remains At The Centre

A major part of Edits’ strategy has been its focus on community-driven learning. The app has worked together with creators like Ethan Barber and Cole Bennett to demonstrate creative methods using the app.

These templates were created not as a way to take shortcuts but as a means for people to learn. You can open any file in a project and see how the video was made, from its effects to soundtracks, before modifying them based on your taste. This concept has become popular during viral challenges like the AI Restyle snow effect challenge.

Over the next few months, Edits will continue to work on improving collaboration between creators, allowing for more complicated templates and sharing creativity among them.

"In year two, expect even more ways to tailor Edits to how you work. You’ll be able to pin your favorite tools, get more insights about your followers, and build themes to make every new project feel like yours from the start."

ALSO READ: OpenAI ChatGPT Images 2.0 With 2K Output And Reasoning Rolls Out; Check Out What It's About

Looking Forward

With Edits moving into Year 2, the priority is clearly in developing tools that assist the whole process of creating from inspiration all the way to completion. From the development road map, one can see further improvements towards usability, customisation and features that are driven by the creator community.

Edits’ mission involves providing top-notch video creation while increasing accessibility for creators.