Meta is expanding its Edits video-editing app with an AI assistant and desktop version, the company announced at an invite-only creator event in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The mobile-first app is also getting new features today including a Beta tab for experimental tools and expanded audience insights.
The moves highlight Meta’s aggressive push to keep video creators engaged on Instagram as it battles TikTok and YouTube for the attention of content makers. Edits launched last year as a direct competitor to ByteDance’s popular CapCut editor, and these additions represent Meta’s biggest bet yet on giving creators professional-grade tools within its ecosystem.
The upcoming AI assistant will analyze creators’ Instagram data to help them understand what content works and why. It will examine metrics like views and video retention, then suggest new video ideas based on past performance. The AI can also recommend trending audio clips for creators to use in their content.
This AI integration serves a strategic purpose for Meta. By keeping content creation and analysis tools within its own app, the company reduces the chances that creators will turn to outside services like ChatGPT for brainstorming or other platforms for editing. The approach mirrors similar AI tools Meta launched for Facebook creators last week and follows moves by YouTube and TikTok to offer their own AI-powered content assistance.
The desktop version of Edits addresses a key limitation of the mobile-only app. Creators will get:
- More precise editing controls on larger screens
- Better workflows for advanced editing tasks
- Seamless syncing between mobile and desktop versions
- Direct competition with CapCut’s existing desktop offering
Among the features launching today, the new Beta tab gives creators early access to experimental features still in development. This approach lets Meta gather feedback and speed up feature development based on what creators actually want to use.
The expanded analytics show creators more detailed audience data, including demographic breakdowns and peak engagement times. Creators can also search for specific topics in the app’s Inspiration feed to find trending content ideas, and create multiple versions of videos to test performance before publishing.
Meta claims content made with Edits performs better than videos created elsewhere, with 10% higher save rates and 2% higher reshare rates. The company says more than half of Instagram users see Edits-created content daily, though it hasn’t shared specific user numbers for the app.
The AI assistant is currently being tested with creator event attendees, while the desktop version is “coming soon.” The Beta tab and expanded analytics are rolling out to all users today. Edits remains free to download on iOS and Android.
