Meta Launches Edits Video Editor for Mac Desktop

Meta has released a desktop version of its Edits video editing app, and Mac users can now download it, according to a report from Social Media Today. The larger screen is intended to make the app’s creation tools easier to use.

What the desktop editor offers

Brett Westervelt, head of Edits, said the desktop editor was built with creators in mind and is free and customizable. Users get access to Instagram’s licensed and royalty-free audio libraries, hundreds of sound and video effects, and unlimited automatic captions that support multiple languages.

The desktop version has a full multi-track timeline, and the bigger display is meant to allow more precise edits. Westervelt said splitting, cutting and trimming are easier, while color wheels, log conversions and curves let creators give videos a finished grade.

Creators can also import their own LUTs or font files to match a particular brand and style. For people who use agents in their editing workflows, MCP can be enabled in settings. The app supports multiple aspect ratios and offers 4K exporting without a watermark.

Competing with CapCut

Edits launched in January 2025 and was designed mainly to compete with ByteDance’s CapCut, which has similar editing tools but more usage limitations. At that time there was speculation about ByteDance’s future in the U.S., and Instagram saw a chance to position Edits as a replacement. Its easy integration with Instagram was also seen as a way to encourage more short-form posting on the platform.

According to the Nov. 5 release notes, Edits now has more than 50 million users. Social Media Today describes it as a valuable complement for many creators, thanks to its steadily expanding range of customization and creation features.

Syncing with mobile

The outlet suggests the desktop release could be the app’s most significant update so far, because the larger layout makes it easier to find and use options within the creation flow.

Westervelt said that audio and text styles saved in the mobile app will carry over to the desktop version when users sign in. Meta is also exploring cross-platform editing, which would let users continue working on projects in either the mobile or desktop app.

Source: socialmediatoday.com

Image: Instagram / Wikimedia Foundation / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)