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Apple has quietly ended support for its Clips video-editing app and removed it from the App Store, leaving existing users with the last available builds and no future updates. Here’s what this change means for iPhone and iPad owners, and practical steps to preserve your videos.
What happened to Clips?
Clips first arrived in 2017 as Apple’s lightweight answer to social video tools — a simple way to mix photos and short video clips with filters, stickers, music and animated text. But after years of minimal development and only occasional bug fixes, Apple announced the app is no longer available to new users and will receive no further updates.
Can you still use Clips?
If you already have Clips installed, you can continue running it on the iOS or iPadOS version that supports the app. However, without updates, compatibility will degrade over time. Apple warns that Clips will become harder to use as future OS releases and device changes roll out.
How to save and preserve your work
Apple recommends exporting any projects or finished videos to your Photos gallery — with or without effects — so you can open and edit them with other apps later. Follow these quick steps:
- Open Clips and locate the project or video you want to keep.
- Export the clip to the Photos app or save it to Files as a high-quality video.
- Back up exported files to iCloud Drive, an external storage solution, or another device.
Exporting now is the safest way to ensure you won’t lose content when Clips eventually becomes incompatible with new iOS releases.
Why Apple likely pulled the plug
When Clips launched, reviewers called it intentionally simple — a showcase of Apple’s camera and software capabilities rather than a full social platform. Over time, Apple added a few features but largely shifted resources away from Clips. The decision to stop updates appears to be part of a broader move toward newer, more advanced video tools and AI-driven creatives apps that have gained traction in recent years.
What to use instead of Clips
For users who relied on Clips for quick edits and social-ready videos, there are now many alternatives — from traditional editors to powerful AI-driven creators. Consider:
- CapCut or InShot for free, mobile-friendly editing and social formats.
- Adobe Premiere Rush for a more polished editing pipeline across devices.
- Modern AI video makers (examples include Sora and other AI-based tools) for automated editing and creative assistance.
Explore apps that support your preferred workflow and make sure they can import the exported video files from Clips.
Users react — mostly unsurprised
On social channels like Reddit, many iPhone users said Apple’s move wasn’t shocking: some had tried Clips once years ago, others had never heard of it. With a new generation of AI-enabled video tools and fast-evolving creator apps, Clips’ simple feature set seemed less compelling by comparison.
If you relied on Clips, now’s the time to export your content and test alternative editors. Think of this as a nudge to migrate assets to apps that will receive active development and stronger long-term support.
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