Even as the future of TikTok remains unclear, Meta has rushed out an alternative to CapCut while Apple continues to do nothing to promote Clips eight years after its debut.
Apple's Clips app is a fun tool, but not quite a CapCut replacement
There's a lot of back and forth relating to whether TikTok will be banned or not, but competitors are taking note. Meta, Adobe, and even Apple have an opportunity to take advantage of the void left by TikTok, CapCut, and other apps owned by ByteDance if a ban is enforced.
According to a Reels post from head of Instagram Adam Mosseri, a new video editing app called Edits would be released sometime in February. It's a similar move to when Meta pre-announced Threads as an alternative to the dying Twitter platform.
The announcement couldn't have come at a worse time. The TikTok ban lasted less than 24 hours before assurances from the incoming administration allowed TikTok to resume operations without fear of fines for breaking the law -- probably.
CapCut is the go-to editing tool for TikTok users, and its potential ban has given companies like Meta some motivation to rush an app out of the door. The new Edits app will apparently feature some social aspect where it will provide users a feed of popular filters and sounds to include in a video.
The Edits app announcement was likely planned to take advantage of the TikTok ban and entice people to move to Instagram Reels right away. Videos posted from Edits to Reels will get performance metrics provided in the app.
Apple and Google haven't restored access to TikTok on their respective app stores as of this publication Sunday evening, but users in the United States do have access to the service again. Edits is coming whether a ban sticks or not, but clearly Meta expected a void to fill rather than a deeply ingrained popular competitor.
Apple's missed opportunity
Apple has worked at the edges of social media for years without diving all the way in. The company is still clearly bruised after the failure of Ping.
Despite that, many apps and features on iPhone toe the line between fun tool and social platform. One of those tools was Clips, which arrived in 2017 to little fanfare and has been forgotten since.
Meta and ByteDance have a reason to push their respective video editing apps -- brand synergy. More users mean more data, more content, and more ad revenue. Apple, however, doesn't have the same motivation.
Apple has never gone full social media, but it's come close with apps like iMessage
While Apple would likely love to see users flock to Clips, it would mean entering a race to satisfy a wave of several million customers in an app and interface that was never really more than a proof of concept. It would be a money pit with very little reward as Apple doesn't have a social platform to drive users to or a way to monetize the app.
Clips is a kind of toy app that lets users make videos using Memoji and filters that are aware of depth and space. It's very minimalistic and lacks a lot of the useful tools users would expect from a CapCut alternative.
There is a lot of potential for issues in attempting to compete with Meta and ByteDance, too. Whatever US entity takes 50% ownership of TikTok will be a direct competitor with Meta and whoever tries to enter that market.
Apple would be foolish to enter a politically charged battle where the opponents are backed by the Chinese government, Donald Trump, Mark Zuckerberg, and Elon Musk. It would undo Apple CEO Tim Cook's attempt to keep the company out of the political eye with his personal $1 million donation and cross Zuckerberg's clear attempts at pledging fealty.
There is too much unknown to predict if Meta's move will bear any fruit. Though, for now, it seems Apple made the right decision or lack thereof in forgetting about Clips and staying out of it.