In this guide
The 30-second answer
Instagram Edits is a free phone app: install it from Google Play on Android or the App Store on iPhone, verify the developer is Instagram, and sign in with your Instagram account. The whole process takes about five minutes on a decent connection. Do not use any other source — there is no official download anywhere else, and the web is full of lookalikes.
This is the guide to send someone who just wants the app on their phone, without the desktop detours. It covers both stores step by step, the checks that prove you have the real listing, the first-run setup, and the fixes for the problems that most often trip people up.
Before you start
Free up space and charge up. Edits itself is a modest download, but video editing eats storage fast. Make sure you have at least 2 GB free and a reasonable battery level, and use Wi-Fi for the download if your mobile plan is limited.
Know your accounts. You will need two logins: your Google account on Android or your Apple ID on iPhone (to use the store), and your Instagram account (to use Edits). If you have two-factor authentication on Instagram, keep your second factor handy — you will be asked for it at sign-in.
Check your phone’s version. Edits needs a reasonably recent Android or iOS. If your phone has not been updated in years, update the operating system first; an install that fails on an old OS usually just means the OS is too old, not that the app is broken.
Install on Android
- Open Google Play. Tap the Play Store icon (the colorful triangle) on your home screen or app drawer. Make sure you are signed in with the Google account you want to use.
- Search for “Edits.” Tap the search bar at the top and type “Edits.” The official app should be near the top of the results.
- Verify the listing. Before tapping Install, check three things: the developer says Instagram; the app name is “Edits” (not “Edits Pro,” “Edits Video Maker,” or anything similar); and there is no price — the button says Install, not a dollar amount. Our official-listing guide shows exactly what the real page looks like.
- Tap Install. The download starts immediately. Keep the Play Store open or let it run in the background; on Wi-Fi it usually finishes in under a minute.
- Open the app. When Install changes to Open, tap it. You can also find Edits on your home screen or in the app drawer from now on.
Shortcut. The buttons at the bottom of this page open the official Play listing directly, so you can skip the search entirely. That is the safest way to reach the listing if search results look cluttered with lookalikes.
Install on iPhone
- Open the App Store. Tap the blue App Store icon on your home screen. Make sure you are signed in with your Apple ID.
- Search for “Edits.” Tap Search in the bottom-right, then type “Edits” in the search field.
- Verify the listing. Check the developer field: it must say Instagram, Inc. The app is free — the button says Get, not a price. If a result charges money or names another developer, it is not the app.
- Tap Get, then confirm. Confirm with Face ID, Touch ID, or your Apple ID password. The download begins and the icon appears on your home screen with a progress ring.
- Open the app. Tap Open on the listing, or tap the new icon. If the icon is still dimmed with a progress ring, the download is still running — wait for it to finish.
Family sharing note. If you use Ask to Buy or a family Apple ID, the purchase approval may go to the family organizer. The app is free, but the approval prompt still appears — that is normal, not a charge.
First run and sign-in
- Open Edits and sign in. The app asks you to sign in with Instagram. Use the account whose content you edit — Edits is tied to your Instagram identity, and switching accounts later means switching your drafts too.
- Grant the permissions it actually needs. Edits will ask for access to your photos and videos (to import clips) and your microphone (for voiceovers). Grant those. It does not need your contacts or your location, so decline anything beyond media and microphone if it ever asks.
- Let it finish setting up. The first launch may download extra assets such as fonts or effects. Stay on Wi-Fi until that finishes, or some effects will show as placeholders.
- Make a test project. Before editing anything important, create a short test clip, add a caption, and export it. That one-minute test confirms the app works and teaches you where exports land — see our export settings guide and captions guide for the next steps.
Updates. From here on, updates arrive automatically through your store like any other app. If a feature you read about is missing, check the store for an update before assuming anything is wrong — and check our updates page for what is new.
Fix common problems
The app does not appear in search. Double-check the spelling, and make sure you are searching the store itself, not the web. If it still does not appear, your phone’s OS may be too old, or the app may not be offered in your region — update the OS and try again.
Install fails or stalls. Free up storage, switch to Wi-Fi, and restart the store app. A download that repeatedly stalls is almost always a storage or connection problem, not a problem with the listing.
The store asks for payment. The genuine Edits listing is free. If you see a price, you are looking at the wrong app — go back and verify the developer field.
Sign-in fails. Confirm your Instagram password works in the Instagram app itself first. If it does, the problem is usually two-factor authentication: complete the second-factor prompt, and if it does not arrive, request a new code rather than retrying the old one.
Edits is installed but will not open. Restart the phone, then update the app from the store. If it still crashes on launch, uninstall and reinstall from the official listing — your drafts are stored on the device, so back up any finished exports first.
Android vs iPhone: what differs?
| Android (Google Play) | iPhone (App Store) | |
|---|---|---|
| Store button | Install | Get |
| Confirmation | None for a free app | Face ID, Touch ID, or Apple ID password |
| Developer field | Instagram, Inc. | |
| Cost | Free | Free |
| Updates | Automatic via Play | Automatic via the App Store |
| If the app is missing | Check OS version and region | Check iOS version and region |
In practice the two installs are nearly identical: the same free app, the same Instagram sign-in, and the same editor once you are inside. The only real differences are the store’s confirmation step and the exact developer label — and both are covered by the verification checks above.
After install: your first edit
With Edits installed and signed in, the fastest way to learn it is a two-minute project. Import one clip from your camera roll, trim the dead air from the start and end, add a caption so the video works with the sound off, and export at 1080p. That single loop — import, trim, caption, export — is the skeleton of every project you will make later, and it surfaces any problem (a missing permission, a slow export) while the stakes are low.
From there, the natural next steps are the trim and split guide for cleaner cuts, the music and audio guide for sound, and the export settings guide so your finished videos look sharp wherever you post them. If you ever want Edits on a bigger screen as well, our PC guide and Mac guide cover the honest desktop routes.
Frequently asked questions
Is Instagram Edits free to download?
Yes. The app is free on both Google Play and the App Store, with no download charge and no paid tier to unlock. See our free-download guide for what is included.
Do I need an Instagram account to use Edits?
Yes. Edits signs in with Instagram, and your projects are tied to that account. If you do not have one yet, create it in the Instagram app first, then open Edits.
Can I install Edits without Google Play or the App Store?
No safe way exists. The only official distribution is the two stores. Files from other sites are unofficial and can be modified — see our APK safety guide for why that matters.
Why can’t I find Edits in my store?
Usually an old operating system, a region where the app is not offered, or a search that hit the web instead of the store. Update your OS, search inside the store app itself, and use the direct store buttons below if search keeps failing.
Will Edits work on my tablet?
Edits is built for phones, and the phone version is what the stores offer. On tablets it may run in a phone-sized window or not be listed at all — the phone install in this guide is the supported route.
With the app installed, your next read should be the captions guide — captions are the single biggest upgrade for most first videos. Next: Is Instagram Edits free? What’s included →. Or return to all download guides →.
One last habit: never reinstall Edits from a link in a message, an ad, or a video description. Clones spread exactly that way, and they count on you being in a hurry. If you ever need the app again — a new phone, a reset device, a friend asking how you got it — come back to the store listing through the buttons above or the steps in this guide. Five minutes of care at install time is what keeps your account, your clips, and your edits safe for every project after it.
If anything in this guide stops matching what you see on your phone — a renamed button, a moved menu — check the store listing first, since store layouts change more often than the app itself.
To download Instagram Edits app safely, use only the buttons on this page or search inside your store app. If you ever need to download Instagram Edits app again on a new phone, the same two official listings are the only route you need.