I’m Brett Westervelt, and I lead the team behind the Edits app.

One year ago today, we launched Edits as Instagram's take on a mobile video editor and creative studio, designed to help anyone make great videos and grow their creative practice.

We worked with creators to build an app that supports their entire creative process. Every Friday before launch, our team would review what we'd built and ask, "Is it ready? Is it good enough?" Many times, we decided it wasn't. Creators had spent years bringing a level of craft to Instagram, and we believed Edits needed to live up to that.

On April 22, 2025, we decided it was ready enough. We had a strong foundation with the essential tools creators asked for, and we knew the best way to make it better was to launch and learn from your feedback.

The incredible response from creators over the past year has humbled and inspired us. Since launch, we've shipped over 130 new features with weekly updates — all shaped by your input. As we mark this first year of building Edits with and for creators, I wanted to share a lookback over the past year and a preview of what we’re excited to build next.

01. The best editing tools, in an intuitive environment

Great videos take time, even when you know what you’re doing. From trimming footage and adding captions to adjusting color and sound, the "basics" alone are a heavy lift.

Since launching Edits, we’ve focused on building powerful tools creators need and bringing them into a video editor that feels simple and approachable. We started by removing real-world friction. Creators told us it was hard to read scripts from their notes while filming, so we built an in-app teleprompter. Whether you’re on camera or recording a voiceover, you can speak directly to your audience with confidence, and adjust your text size and speed as you go.

In year two, we’ll keep making our core tools better, with meaningful upgrades coming for captions (including bilingual captions), advanced color adjustments, speed curves and more. We’re also working toward making most tools customizable, so you can start with what’s there and tune it exactly how you like.

02. A creative home you make your own

Video editing is only part of the creative process. We built Edits to also support everything around it—from inspiration and ideas to feedback after you hit “Share.” Rather than having to jump from app to app to make a single video, Edits brings everything you need into one seamless workspace.

In the Ideas tab, your saved reels and audio from Instagram live alongside sticky notes for your next big idea. As you use Edits, it gets more personalized with an inspiration feed based on what you post, insights that summarize your comments, and weekly ideas generated just for you.

In year two, expect even more ways to tailor Edits to how you work — like pinning your favorite tools, getting more insights about your followers, and starting every project with your setup ready to go.

03. A creative community

We know every creator starts with a spark of an idea and examples they learned from. You take a chance, put your work out there, and find the people it resonates with.

With Edits, we believe creativity grows through community—through mentorship, encouragement, and education. That’s why we’ve worked with creators like @ethanbarber.co and @colebennett to bring their creative approaches into Edits for anyone to try. We also saw the importance of education when Edits’ AI Restyle snow effect went viral, sparked by how-to tutorials from creators like @mirandamorey_.

Our take on templates is built around learning: when you tap on an Edits template, you can open the project file to see how it was made (including whether it uses trending audio) and then easily make it into your own. Soon, creators can make more complex templates with overlays, keyframes, and video effects.

In year two, expect more examples and techniques from creators, and easier ways to trade creative building blocks with each other through the app.

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As we set out on what’s next for Edits, we’re deeply focused on making tools that bring your creativity to life—from your first burst of inspiration to the final result. For us, success means more creativity out in the world, and we can’t wait to see what you make.

Try Edits if you haven’t already and tag @creators to share what you’ve made. Keep the feedback coming on Instagram and Threads—it directly shapes what we build next.