Apple just pulled the plug on Clips, quietly removing the video editing app from the App Store after eight years. The move signals the end of Apple's attempt to compete with social video platforms like Snapchat and Instagram Stories, as the company shifts focus to AI-powered content creation tools.
Apple just quietly ended one of its most overlooked experiments in social media. The company removed Clips from the App Store on October 10, officially discontinuing the video editing app that launched with high hopes back in 2017.
The news broke through an Apple Support page that matter-of-factly states existing users can continue using Clips on current iOS and iPadOS versions, but new downloads are no longer possible. More telling is Apple's recommendation that users export their videos to the Photos app before the inevitable compatibility issues set in.
Clips represented Apple's most direct attempt to challenge the social video revolution sparked by Snapchat and Instagram Stories. Rather than building a social network, Apple created a standalone tool that let users stitch together photos and videos with filters, emojis, and music. The strategy was classic Apple - provide the creative tools, let users choose their own sharing platforms.
But the execution never quite clicked. TechCrunch's Brian Heater described the app's video editing capabilities as "simple to a fault" in his 2017 review, suggesting it was simultaneously too basic for power users and not intuitive enough for casual creators. While Apple initially rolled out new features, MacRumors reports that recent years brought only bug fixes - a clear sign of declining internal priority.
The timing of Clips' demise tells a bigger story about shifting content creation trends. Just as Apple winds down its traditional video editing experiment, AI-generated content tools are exploding in popularity. OpenAI's Sora video generator recently hit 1 million downloads, offering users the ability to create professional-looking videos from simple text prompts.
Apple Reddit communities showed little surprise at the news, with users admitting they'd either forgotten about Clips entirely or tried it once years ago. The lukewarm reception highlights a fundamental challenge Apple faced - entering an already crowded market where Meta, Snap, and TikTok had already captured user attention and habits.
