US Ban Forces Creativity Crisis! CapCut Takedown Spurs IG’s Secret YouTube Alternative

The App Ban Fallout: What’s Up with Other Bytedance Apps?
TikTok’s temporary US ban might be over, but other Bytedance apps are still facing the music. CapCut, a popular video and photo editing software, was taken down, and in a surprising move, Meta announced Edits, its own CapCut clone. But what’s going on with the other Bytedance apps?
Enter Edits: Meta’s Free Video Editor
Edits, introduced by Meta’s head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, sounds an awful lot like CapCut, a free editing tool for smartphones. While similar, Edits will have a more limited scope, focusing on the smartphone experience and offering features like idea draft and storage, camera enhancements, and trend insights. However, it’s not available for download just yet, with a scheduled launch date of March 13, 2025.
The App Ban Fallout: What About Other Banned Apps?
As for other Bytedance apps, TikTok is slowly making its way back. While it’s still not available for download in the US due to Washington’s restrictions, you can access your favorite creators and content without using a VPN. Marvel Snap, another popular app, will make its comeback soon, with Second Dinner, its developers, aiming to have it back online within 24 hours. Lemonade, a TikTok alternative, is still down in the US, but we expect it to return when TikTok does.
Why the Surprise Ban?
The ban, which came out of nowhere, left many wondering why Meta and Apple didn’t just roll out Edits alongside the other Bytedance apps. Given the initial hiccups with rolling out Threads during Twitter’s struggles, we’re not surprised it’s taking things more slowly.
What’s Next?
For now, the US ban is still in place, and TikTok users are waiting to see what’s next. Meta has vowed to support TikTok, with Donald Trump promising an executive order to extend the timeline for the sale of TikTok. However, until that order is signed, Apple and Google will likely keep a close eye on the situation.
Stay tuned for more updates on the app ban fallout, and what it means for the future of Bytedance’s and Meta’s in-play apps.