Instagram dropped a major update to its built-in editing tool, Edits, adding auto-captions, dynamic text effects, and expanded font controls—all aimed at helping creators level up their Reels without leaving the app.

There’s more going on under the hood than you might expect, and some of it could seriously change how creators produce content on the fly.

The update, now live for select users and rolling out more broadly soon, turns Edits into something closer to a mini video studio—directly inside Instagram.

You’ll now be able to use stylized text animations (think zoom, bounce, spin), get auto-captions with customizable placement, and tap into a new media clip trimming tool that makes syncing video and audio way less chaotic.

If you’ve ever cursed at your screen while trying to match a beat drop with a cut, this is your moment.

Instagram is also streamlining how you overlay photos and videos.

The update adds a dedicated “Media” tab inside Edits, making it easier to import, arrange, and fine-tune visuals without jumping back and forth between menus.

There’s now a smart alignment feature for layered media too, helping you avoid the dreaded half-cropped chaos when stacking clips or graphics.

From a creative workflow standpoint, these changes mean more of your editing can happen right inside the app—without bouncing over to CapCut, VN, or even TikTok’s native tools.

Meta seems to be doubling down on giving creators more reasons to stay within the Instagram ecosystem instead of hopping to external platforms to polish their content.

And yes, for those who’ve been yelling into the void about Reels needing better accessibility tools: the new auto-captions option is a long-overdue step in the right direction.

You can resize them, shift them around the screen, and choose from various styles to match your content without looking like a default setting.

Meta hasn’t said whether these tools will eventually connect with other features like Collaborative Posts or Branded Content tags, but it’s safe to assume that this is part of a larger push to give creators more leverage without adding more steps.