Instagram's 'First Draft' feature aims to make editing Reels less tedious
Instagram is introducing a new feature designed to streamline the editing process for Reels. Called First Draft, the tool automatically trims silences and pauses from selected video clips, pulling together the best moments into an initial cut. The feature was announced Tuesday in a Threads post, as reported by TechCrunch.
According to Instagram, the process can produce a first pass in under 10 seconds, potentially saving creators significant editing time while making video creation more approachable for those without much editing experience. Instead of manually working through every clip, creators can start with an automatically assembled draft and refine it from there.
To use First Draft, users select clips from their Reels Gallery and tap "First Draft," as Engadget details. The feature then analyzes the clips, trims them, and lays them out in a timeline where they can be played back, edited further, or posted directly to a feed or Story. The tool can also be accessed directly from Instagram's camera while recording, or from the Reels gallery after selecting multiple clips, according to TechCrunch. Meta says First Drafts can be used immediately after shooting new footage on Instagram.
The feature is initially rolling out on iPhone, with no release date shared for Android yet. TechCrunch notes that similar automated editing tools already exist in products such as Adobe Firefly's Quick Cuts and CapCut's Auto Cut, but Instagram's decision to build the functionality directly into its own app gives creators less reason to move footage into a separate editor.
Position among Meta's AI efforts
The launch comes after Meta introduced Edits, a standalone video editing app, in April 2025, with a variety of AI-powered editing features intended to make Reels production easier, as Engadget reports. However, Engadget notes that AI isn't mentioned at all in the company's announcement of First Draft, and that the feature reportedly doesn't use the technology, citing The Verge. That might be because Meta technically classifies First Draft as "machine learning" rather than AI, though it's still a notable change for Instagram.
Engadget points out that Instagram has recently hosted various AI experiments, from Meta's decision to force Meta AI into Instagram messages to a feature that lets users prompt Instagram to edit their Stories. The outlet remarks that none have felt particularly necessary for the core experience of posting things, which makes First Draft's utility stand out.
Broader creator tool push
TechCrunch reports that Instagram has introduced several creator tools this year, such as a "Replace Audio" tool that lets users swap the music on existing feed posts and carousels without deleting and re-uploading them. The company is also working on launching a new AI assistant in its video-editing app Edits. Additionally, Instagram has been testing "Series," which lets creators group related Reels together so viewers can watch them in a specific order, potentially turning individual short videos into more structured content.