Edits, Instagram’s free video editing app, is now available on Mac. Meta released the first desktop version of the Edits app on 5 November 2026 for Macs with Apple silicon (M1 or later). It adds a multi-track timeline, keyframes, color grading with your own LUTs, unlimited automatic captions, 4K export with no watermark and direct publishing to Instagram. There is no Windows version yet.
Key takeaways
- Launched: 5 November 2026, as the “first version” of the desktop editor (Edits blog).
- Platform: macOS only, on Apple silicon (M1 or later). No Windows date announced (Edits download page).
- Price: free to download; 4K export with no watermark.
- Key desktop features: multi-track timeline, keyframes, color wheels and curves, LUT and font imports, custom keyboard shortcuts.
- Not yet: editing the same project on phone and Mac. Only saved audio and text styles sync for now.
- For marketers: one free tool to cut Reels, add captions and post to Instagram from a laptop.
What is the Edits app for Mac?
Edits is Meta’s video creation app for Instagram creators. It first launched on phones on 22 April 2025, with a frame-accurate timeline, camera recording of up to 10 minutes and watermark-free export, according to Meta’s launch announcement. TechCrunch and Social Media Today both describe it as Meta’s answer to ByteDance’s CapCut.
On 5 November 2026, Brett Westervelt, who leads the Edits app, announced that “the first version of our desktop editor is now available for macOS” (Edits blog). As Westervelt wrote in the launch post, creators kept describing the same moment: “a project gets too big for your phone”. The desktop app is aimed at longer or more detailed edits that benefit from a large screen, a mouse and a keyboard.
Meta says 50 million people have used Edits in just over a year. That is Meta’s own figure. The launch is also part of a bigger push by Instagram into longer video: see our explainer on Instagram’s 90-minute videos.
What can you do in Edits on desktop?
Here is the feature list Meta published on its launch post and download page, grouped by what a marketer would actually use it for.
| Area | What Edits for Mac offers | Why it matters for marketers |
|---|---|---|
| Timeline | Full multi-track timeline; split, cut and trim; keyframes for transitions | Layer B-roll, product shots, text and music without fighting a phone screen |
| Audio | Precise waveforms for beat-accurate cuts; Instagram’s licensed, royalty-free audio library; hundreds of sound and video effects | Cut on the beat and use music that is cleared for Instagram |
| Captions | Unlimited automatic captions in multiple languages | Keeps the message readable for viewers watching without sound |
| Color | Color wheels, log conversions and curves; import your own LUTs | Keep a consistent brand look across every Reel |
| Brand assets | Import your own font files; saved audio and text styles from mobile | Use brand fonts instead of default styles |
| Speed | Customizable keyboard shortcuts, or carry them over from another editor | Faster edits if you already use another desktop editor |
| Formats and export | Horizontal and vertical aspect ratios; 4K export with no watermark | Export vertical versions for Reels and Stories, or horizontal ones for YouTube or a website |
| Publishing | Post directly to Instagram with tagging, location and trial reels | No more sending files to your phone before posting |
| AI agents | AI agents can connect to the editor through MCP (Model Context Protocol) | Early sign of AI assistants helping with rough cuts |
On the AI side, Meta’s post only says you can connect AI agents “through MCP so they can help with your projects” and gives no setup details (Social Media Today reports it is enabled in the app’s settings). Gulf News reports that connected agents, including Meta’s Muse, can help assemble rough cuts before you adjust them by hand. In our view, treat this as an early feature to watch rather than a reason to switch tools today.
How do you download and set up the Edits app on a Mac?
Meta distributes the desktop app from its own website. Based on Meta’s download page and launch post, a typical setup looks like this:
- Check your Mac: Meta lists Apple silicon (M1 or later). Intel Macs are not mentioned.
- Go to edits.instagram.com/desktop and click Get Edits for Mac.
- Install the app and sign in with your Instagram account. Meta says signing in keeps your projects with you and lets you share from the app.
- Open a new project, import your clips and pick the aspect ratio you need (vertical for Reels, horizontal for YouTube or a website).
- Edit, add captions and music, then publish to Instagram directly or export a 4K file.
If you manage several brands, sign in with the account you plan to publish to. Saved audio and text styles from that account’s mobile Edits app will then be available on desktop.
Edits on Mac vs Edits on mobile: what’s the difference?
The two apps share an interface, but they suit different jobs. Meta has not published a full comparison of the desktop and mobile apps, so this table only lists what Meta has described for each.
| Edits on mobile (iOS and Android) | Edits for Mac | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for (our view) | Quick Reels shot and edited on the phone | Longer or detailed edits, client work, batches of videos |
| Recording | In-app camera, up to 10 minutes per recording (at the 2025 launch) | Edit imported footage on a large screen |
| Timeline | Frame-accurate timeline | Full multi-track timeline with keyframes and waveforms |
| Color | Effects and auto-enhance (at the 2025 launch) | Color wheels, log conversions, curves and custom LUTs |
| Export | Watermark-free export | 4K, no watermark, horizontal and vertical |
| Posting | Share to Instagram and Facebook | Publish directly to Instagram with tagging, location and trial reels |
| Sync | Saved audio and text styles | Same saved styles; full project sync not yet available |
Meta also says desktop updates will ship every week, like the mobile app. If you use Edits on your phone for features like the Instagram carousel editor in Edits, keep using it: Meta says it will keep developing the mobile app.
Is Edits a good CapCut alternative for marketers?
Edits for Mac enters a market where CapCut already has a head start: TechCrunch notes that CapCut has offered desktop editing on Windows and Mac since 2021. Edits is Mac-only for now, so Windows teams cannot switch yet.
In our view, Edits for Mac makes the most sense if:
- Instagram is your main channel, and you want licensed audio, captions and posting in one place.
- You manage Reels for a business or clients and edit on a MacBook or iMac with Apple silicon.
- You want a free editor with 4K, watermark-free export and no extra subscription to manage.
It makes less sense if your team edits on Windows, if you need to move one project between phone and desktop today, or if your workflow depends on features from another editor that Edits does not list. Test it on two or three real Reels before you move your whole workflow.
What does Edits on desktop mean for businesses and social media managers?
In our view, short-form video is now a core skill for business owners and marketers in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, not an extra (see our guide to short-form video content). A free desktop editor can lower the cost of producing it in-house. Here is how we would fit it into a weekly content workflow:
- Shoot in batches on your phone: product close-ups, a talking-head tip, behind-the-scenes clips.
- Edit on the Mac: build two or three Reels from the same footage, each with a different hook in the first seconds.
- Apply your brand look: one LUT, your brand fonts and the same caption style on every video.
- Add captions and licensed audio, then check the text is readable on a phone screen.
- Publish: post directly to Instagram, or use trial reels to test a version with non-followers first. Our guide on how to make a Reel go viral covers what to test.
- Reuse the best performer as an ad. In our view, a Reel that already performs well organically is a good starting point for AI-assisted video ads.
In our view, the skill that matters is not the tool itself. It is knowing which hook, length and caption style works for your audience, and measuring it. The editor just makes testing faster.
What to do now: a checklist
- Check that your Mac uses Apple silicon (M1 or later).
- Download Edits for Mac from Meta’s official page only, not from third-party download sites.
- Sign in with the Instagram account you post from and save your caption and audio styles.
- Import your brand fonts and, if you use one, a brand LUT.
- Re-edit one of your best recent Reels on desktop and compare the time it takes.
- Try one trial reel with a new hook before posting to all followers.
- Keep your current editor until project sync between phone and Mac is available, if you rely on it.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Edits app free on Mac?
Yes. Meta describes Edits for Mac as free to download, and its launch post says the tools creators need are “free and customizable”. Meta has not announced any paid tier for the desktop app.
Is Edits available for Windows?
Not yet. Meta’s download page says Edits on desktop is only available on macOS, and Meta has not announced a Windows release date.
Which Macs can run Edits?
Meta’s download page lists Macs with Apple silicon (M1 or later). The page does not mention Intel Macs or a minimum macOS version.
Can I post to Instagram directly from Edits on Mac?
Yes. Meta says you can publish straight to Instagram from the desktop editor, with tagging, location and trial reels built in. You can also export the file to use on other platforms.
Does Edits for Mac add a watermark?
No. Meta says the desktop app exports in 4K with no watermark, in both horizontal and vertical formats.
Can I start a video on my phone and finish it on my Mac?
Not yet. Today only your saved audio and text styles carry over from the mobile app. Meta says it is working on editing one project across desktop and mobile.
Is Edits a good CapCut alternative?
TechCrunch and Gulf News describe Edits as Meta’s answer to ByteDance’s CapCut, which has offered desktop editing on Windows and Mac since 2021, according to TechCrunch. In our view, Edits for Mac is worth testing if Instagram is your main channel, because it combines Instagram’s licensed audio, captions and direct posting in one free app.
Sources
- Edits blog: Edits on desktop is here (5 November 2026)
- Edits: Edits for Mac download page (read 8 November 2026)
- TechCrunch: Instagram brings Edits to desktop to take on CapCut (5 November 2026)
- MacRumors: Instagram’s Edits Video Editor is Now Available on Mac (5 November 2026)
- Social Media Today: Edits launches for MacOS (5 November 2026)
- Gulf News: Instagram launches free desktop video editor to rival CapCut (5 November 2026)
- Meta Newsroom: Introducing Edits, a streamlined video creation app (22 April 2025, updated 17 December 2025)
Features and availability as published by Meta on 5 November 2026 and checked on 8 November 2026. Meta updates the desktop app weekly, so what you see may differ.
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Written by the Gradezilla team · Reviewed by Bashar Amin
