Edits for Android

Edits is a free video editing app for Android made by Instagram, and the current release is 447.0.0.49.81. If you want to download a phone editor that is designed around short vertical videos and posts them to Instagram without extra exporting steps, Edits is the tool the company itself offers for that job.

What Edits is for

Most people who shoot Reels have used a third-party editor at some point: they record on the phone, open another app to trim and caption the footage, export the file and then upload it back to Instagram. Edits removes that detour. It is a standalone app, separate from the main Instagram client, that focuses on the editing part of short-form video. You bring in clips from the gallery or record inside the app, arrange them on a timeline, cut the parts you do not need and add text, captions, music, stickers and transitions. When the video is ready, you can share it to Instagram or save it to the phone and use it anywhere else. The app is aimed at creators who publish often and want a workflow that stays in one place, but it is just as usable for someone who only makes a clip for friends now and then. Because it comes from the same company as Instagram, you sign in with your existing account instead of creating a new profile.

Main features

• Timeline editing with trimming, splitting and reordering of clips.
• Automatic captions that you can correct and restyle.
• Text overlays, stickers, filters and transitions.
• Music and sound tracks for your video.
• Recording directly in the app, with a camera tuned for vertical video.
• Export in high quality without a watermark, and direct sharing to Instagram.
• Drafts that you can come back to later.

Installing Edits

1. Open Google Play on your phone and search for Edits by Instagram. Check that the developer is shown as Instagram before you install.
2. Install the app and open it.
3. Sign in with your Instagram account.
4. Allow access to photos, videos, the camera and the microphone, so the editor can import and record footage.
5. Start a new project and add clips from the gallery.

According to catalogue data, the Android package is about 125.74 MB, and projects with many clips need extra free storage on top of that.

Requirements and performance

Edits runs on Android phones and tablets with an internet connection for signing in, downloading music and sharing. Video editing is demanding: a recent phone with plenty of free memory will preview effects smoothly, while an older model may stutter on long timelines. Closing other apps before exporting usually helps.

Safety and privacy

Install Edits only from Google Play. Copies spread on file-sharing sites as "unlocked" or "pro" versions are not needed, since the app is already free, and they may carry malware that steals your Instagram login. Remember that the app is linked to your Instagram account: review which permissions you grant and what you share publicly.

Price

Edits is free to use, with no subscription needed for the editing tools described above.

Pros and cons

• Pro: made by Instagram, so posting to Reels is direct.
• Pro: exports without a watermark.
• Pro: automatic captions save typing.
• Con: needs an Instagram account.
• Con: fewer advanced tools than desktop editors.
• Con: heavy projects slow down older phones.

Alternatives

If you prefer an editor that is not tied to Instagram, other video apps on our site include CapCut, InShot, YouCut, VN – Video Editor and Alight Motion, the latter being oriented towards motion graphics and animation.