Edits / Instagram Reels / How to edit Reels
Editing is where a Reel is made or lost. These eight edits, in order, take raw clips to a finished Reel in about 20 minutes: import, trim, reorder, music, captions, text, transitions and export. Every step shows the tap in the Instagram app and the better version in the free Edits app.
Every editor puts the same ten tools in slightly different places. This is what each one is for, with a link to the Edits tutorial.
Do them in this sequence and you never redo work: structure first (import, trim, order), then sound, then everything on top of the picture, then export. Each step shows the Edits version and, in the pink box, how to do it inside Instagram.
Edit 01
Open Edits, tap New project, and select your clips and photos from the camera roll in the order you tap them. Don't agonise - you'll reorder in step 3. The canvas is 9:16 by default; landscape clips land with bars you'll fix later.
Edit 02
Tap a clip and drag the white handles at each end to cut the dead air - the breath before you speak, the reach for the phone after. For a long clip, move the playhead to the moment and tap split so you can delete the middle or move a piece elsewhere. Pinch the timeline to zoom to single frames.
Edit 03
Long-press a clip and drag it to move it. Put the result first - the finished dish, the after photo, the punchline - then show how. Then set speed: 0.5× for a slow reveal, 2-4× for a process, a freeze frame to hold a moment, reverse for a loop.
Edit 04
Tap Audio, pick a track from the library and drag it so the drop lands on your best cut. Edits shows beat markers on the track - snap your clip edges to them and the edit feels tight without trying. Record a voiceover over the timeline, then open the mixer to balance: voice at 0, music 10-15 dB under it.
Edit 05
Tap Captions → Auto captions. Edits transcribes the speech, syncs it word by word and shows the transcript so you can fix misheard words with find & replace. Pick a style - boxed, bold or highlighted keyword - and drag the block into the centre of the frame, clear of the bottom caption area and right-hand buttons.
Edit 06
The first two seconds decide everything. Add a text layer at 0:00 with one line - the result, the mistake or the number - and end it at 2 s. Then add any labels (step names, "Day 3", prices) timed to the clip they describe. One sticker is a design choice; six is noise.
Edit 07
Tap between two clips to add a transition - only where the scene actually changes; a hard cut is the right choice everywhere else. Then apply one filter or a light color adjustment to all clips so they match. Effects (pop-out, cinematic, AI restyle) are the garnish: one per Reel, on a beat.
Edit 08
Tap Export. The defaults are what Instagram wants: 1080 × 1920, 30 fps, H.264, high quality, and no watermark. Save to camera roll or tap Share to Instagram, which opens the Reels share screen with your video loaded - add the cover and caption there. The project stays editable, so version two is a two-minute job.
Captions and text are timed to the clip. Trim first or you redo every layer.
Hard cuts are the native language of Reels. Save transitions for real scene changes.
The bottom and right edge are covered by Instagram's UI. Keep text centred - safe zone map.
If people can't hear you, they scroll. Voice at 0 dB, music at −12 to −15.
Each export recompresses. Always export from the project, not a saved copy - why Reels go blurry.
A third-party logo in the corner reads as low effort and some platforms downrank it. Edits exports without one.
Instagram's built-in editor is fine for a one-take Reel with a song and a caption. The moment you have more than three clips, a voiceover, or text that needs timing, Edits saves you the redo.
| Task | Edits app | Instagram editor |
|---|---|---|
| Timeline | Frame-accurate, pinch to zoom, split anywhere | Trim ends only, no split |
| Reorder clips | Drag on the timeline | Drag in Edit clips |
| Speed | Per clip, 0.25× – 10×, after import | Set before recording only |
| Music | Library + beat markers + mixer | Library + volume sliders |
| Captions | Auto, editable transcript, find & replace, styles | Auto, style only, words not editable |
| Text timing | Keyframes and presets | Start/end on a bar |
| Transitions / FX | Transitions, cinematic filters, AI effects, green screen | Filters only |
| Export | 1080p, no watermark, project stays editable | Posts directly; no file, no re-edit |
| Best for | Anything with 3+ clips, voice or timed text | One-take Reels, quick trends |
Haven't recorded anything yet? Start with how to make a Reel.
Edits is Instagram's free editor: real timeline, auto captions, keyframes, no watermark.