- TikTok wasn’t the only Bytedance app banned
- CapCut was removed and Meta out of nowhere announced editions
- Edits looks a lot like CapCut as a free editing tool for smartphones
TikTok’s short-lived (for now) ban in the US might be over, but several other apps that got caught in the crossfire have yet to return as of this writing due to their affiliation with Bytedance. Marvel Snap was removed, to everyone’s surprise, popular TikTok alternative Lemon8 was removed and video editing software CapCut was also removed. And in completely unrelated news, Meta took the opportunity to announce Edits, its own CapCut clone.
For the uninitiated, CapCut is a free photo and video editor from Bytedance that you can use on your phone, tablet, or PC to edit your content. While it’s ideal for editing short-form content for platforms like TikTok, you can also use its AI tools and features to create longer-form videos with subtitles and effects.
With that in mind, let’s look at the edits announcement from Adam Mosseri and Meta’s Instagram director. Taking to Threads Mosseri calls Edits, a free smartphone video editor for Instagram and other platforms; Sounds a bit similar, right? Well, there are some differences.
For one thing, it looks like Edits will focus entirely on the smartphone experience rather than having a PC release. On the other hand, Mosseri presents Edits as a place not only to edit content, but also as a one-stop shop for creatives to draft and store ideas, capture video using an enhanced camera app, and gain access to trending insights to help inform his next short.
Although returning to the CapCut similarities, like its rival, Edits is also not available for download at this time – the software is currently available for pre-order on iOS (an Android release is also planned) with a release date scheduled for the 13th. of March. 2025.
It seems a little suspicious that Meta had this announcement ready for the day of TikTok and CapCut’s apparent demise, we’re just surprised it didn’t take this opportunity to launch its rival, though given the initial problems it had. Implementing Threads when Twitter seemed to be on death’s door, we’re not surprised it’s taking things slower.
What about other banned apps?
As for Bytedance’s other banned apps, TikTok is steadily making a comeback. You can now access your favorite creators through the app without using one of the best VPNs to spoof your location, although US users still can’t install the app through the app stores.
TikTok is unlikely to be fully restored until Donald Trump signs his promised executive order that will extend the deadline within which TikTok must be sold. While he has promised that “there will be no liability” for companies that support TikTok and that he will sign the order on his first day in office, until he signs said order we expect Apple and Google to hold their fire if he does. Another 180 on whether you want to ban or save the social media platform.
Marvel Snap, the most surprising ban of the weekend (even its own creators, Second Dinner, didn’t realize the app would be banned) is also hoping to return soon. It’s still down in the US, but in a post made on Sunday, January 19 at 8:38 pm ET / 1:38 am GMT, Second Dinner says it hopes to “be back online within 24 hours” . It’s unclear if this is because things are being readjusted on the backend so they are no longer associated with Bytedance, or if the unbanning will be as part of Trump’s promised unbanning, but hopefully it will be back soon so that players can play again. Current season of The Dark Avengers.
Lemonade is also offline. We hope it returns properly when TikTok does, although given its status in the US as simply a TikTok alternative that users only flocked to in the face of a ban, we hope it’s not Bytedance’s top priority, certainly not as much as a priority. like TikTok.
