Instagram is tackling one of the more tedious parts of making Reels with a new feature that can turn multiple raw video clips into a usable first edit in seconds. The new tool, called Instagram First Draft, automatically cuts the selected clips, removes pauses, and brings the most useful sections into a single Reel. Instagram says the process can spit out a first edit in under 10 seconds, giving creators a way to get through the first stage of editing without cutting every clip manually.
The feature, now rolling out on iPhone, is designed to work with footage that creators have already shot. Open the camera on Instagram, record your clips, and select the First Draft option. There’s also the Reels gallery, where users can select more than one clip before making the first edit.
Once turned on, Instagram First Draft analyzes the selected footage, deletes pauses, and cuts out less useful bits, then joins the rest of the pieces into a first edit. The official Instagram release notes stress that all automated actions are fully reversible. The output is meant as a starting point, not a finished video, so creators can customize the timeline fully, reorder clips, and add text or music before publishing the reel.
The feature is meant to take some of the repetitive work out of creating a Reel, while still allowing the person creating it to make creative decisions. Users can then make further edits to the timeline, rearranging clips and adding the usual music, text, and effects before sharing the final video.
Instagram First Draft also creates less incentive for creators to export raw footage to third-party editing apps like CapCut or Adobe Firefly. Automated trimming tools already exist across the wider market of video-editing software, but keeping the process inside Instagram could make Reels production faster and more convenient. The feature could be especially useful for multi-clip montages, talking-head videos, and day-in-the-life content, where editing often involves removing pauses and unused footage.
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The launch comes as Instagram has been focusing more on standard users to create Reels without having to use dedicated editing software. For casual creators, the biggest win with Instagram First Draft is probably being able to go from a pile of raw clips to something usable much faster.
Meanwhile, Instagram First Draft may be the first pass for experienced creators before they move to more in-depth editing. Users don’t need to start off with a blank timeline, they can start with an automatically shortened version and decide what needs to stay, what needs to change and what needs to go. Instagram has also introduced a tool that lets users change the background music on older posts, without affecting current engagement metrics. The platform is, in the meantime, testing a feature that groups related videos into structured episodic series, giving creators a more organized way to showcase ongoing content.