Meta’s Edits app adds AI assistant and desktop version

At an exclusive invite-only creator event in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Meta gave a first look at significant upgrades coming to its video-editing app Edits, including an AI assistant and a desktop version of what has so far been a mobile-only platform.

The company also unveiled several tools rolling out today, such as a “Beta” tab for experimental features and expanded audience insights. Edits launched last year as a direct rival to ByteDance’s CapCut, and with these additions, Meta aims to both hold onto its current user base and draw in new creators.

The upcoming AI assistant is designed to help creators analyze their performance data and generate content ideas. It will tap into their Instagram metrics,like views and video-retention insights,to pinpoint what resonates and why. The assistant will suggest video concepts based on performance trends and recommend creating content around trending audio.

By embedding an AI assistant directly into Edits, Meta is working to keep creators engaged on Instagram as competition with TikTok and YouTube for creator attention intensifies. This feature also encourages more frequent posting, which could boost overall user engagement. Additionally, it eliminates the need for creators to rely on external tools like ChatGPT when brainstorming or evaluating their content’s performance.

Meta rolled out a similar AI assistant for Facebook creators last week. Competitors are also in this space: YouTube Studio has an Inspiration tab that uses AI to suggest video ideas, while TikTok offers an AI assistant for trend discovery and brainstorming.

The desktop version of Edits will give creators greater precision during editing and the ability to work on a larger screen, which is especially useful for complex workflows. Meta says users will be able to sync their projects seamlessly between mobile and desktop devices. This move also positions Edits to better compete with CapCut, which already has a desktop offering.

Among the features launching today is the Beta tab, which grants creators early access to experimental features still under development and allows them to provide feedback directly to Meta. This signals that the company wants to accelerate feature development based on what creators actually want and use, sharpening its competitive edge against CapCut.

Creators can now view more detailed metrics, including audience demographic breakdowns and the times of day their followers are most active. These join existing analytics like watch time, follower gains from specific videos, and drop-off points within a video.

The app’s Inspiration feed has also been updated: creators can search for specific topics to discover reels and templates others are making around a given trend or idea. They can also create multiple versions of a single piece of content to test which performs best before publishing.

While Instagram hasn’t disclosed exact user numbers for Edits, the company reports that content made with the app sees a 10% higher save rate and a 2% higher reshare rate compared to content created elsewhere. Furthermore, more than half of Instagram’s Reels viewers encounter Edits-created content daily.

Edits remains free to download on both iOS and Android.

The AI assistant announced Wednesday is currently in testing with attendees of the creator event. The desktop version is described as “coming soon,” while the rest of the features are available to all users starting today.