Meta has released an alternative to CapCut.
The popular video-editing app was temporarily shut down the night of Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, following a TikTok ban. As AFROTECH™ previously reported TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, had been mandated to sell its app to a company based in the United States or it would be banned. The U.S. had concerns over the spreading of misinformation and China’s possible access to user data.
ByteDance has maintained a stance that it will not sell TikTok, and hours before the ban was to become active, several of its apps were removed from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. The ban officially went into effect on Jan. 19 and impacted ByteDance’s subsidiaries such as TikTok, Lemon8, Marvel Snap, Lark, Hypic, and CapCut, USA Today notes.
Apple shared in a statement on its website: “Pursuant to the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, apps developed by ByteDance Ltd. and its subsidiaries — including TikTok, CapCut, Lemon8, and others — will no longer be available for download or updates on the App Store for users in the United States starting January 19, 2025.”
As of Tuesday, Jan. 21, ByteDance’s apps are reportedly back up and running though not available to download from Apple’s and Google’s app stores.
This came after Trump was inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States on Monday, Jan. 20. He signed an executive order that would delay TikTok being banned in the U.S. for 75 days, CNN reports. Per an executive action, Trump stated that it would allow his administration to “determine the appropriate course forward in an orderly way that protects national security while avoiding an abrupt shutdown of a communications platform used by millions of Americans.”
Many users have relied on ByteDance’s apps for entertainment, advancing their content careers, or scaling their businesses. And while they may experience temporary relief, this situation has also shown the risks of depending too heavily on a single platform to meet these needs.
Meta is filling the current market void with “Edits,” an innovative video-editing app that can serve as an alternative to CapCut. Meta’s head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, views the new platform as more than a video-editing platform and states it will offer more expansive tools for creators.
“Today we’re announcing a new app called ‘Edits,’ for those of you who are passionate about making videos on your phone. There’s a lot going on right now, but no matter what happens, it’s our job to provide the best possible tools for creators,” Mosseri shared on Instagram. “Edits is more than a video editing app; it’s a full suite of creative tools. There will be a dedicated tab for inspiration, another for keeping track of early ideas, a much higher-quality camera (which I used to record this video), all the editing tools you’d expect, the ability to share drafts with friends and other creators, and — if you decide to share your videos on Instagram — powerful insights into how those videos perform.”
Edits is currently in beta and available for pre-order on the Apple App Store, with an official launch slated for February 2025. Availability on Google Play will come later.
