Instagram rolled out First Draft globally on August 25, 2026. The tool automatically trims your selected video clips, removes pauses and silent moments, and stitches the best moments into a first cut — all in under 10 seconds[citation:2][citation:8].

If you've ever opened the Reels editor, selected a pile of clips, and immediately felt overwhelmed by the manual trimming, First Draft is designed for exactly that moment[citation:11].

How to use First Draft

First Draft is built directly into Instagram's Reels creation flow. You don't need a separate app[citation:5][citation:17].

  • Tap the + button at the top left and select Reels.
  • Choose multiple videos from your gallery.
  • Look for the First Draft button at the bottom right and tap it.
  • Instagram analyzes your clips, identifies the highlights, and assembles a first cut in under 10 seconds.
  • Review the draft. You can reorder, remove, or adjust clips, or start over if you prefer.
  • Add captions, music, voiceover, or overlays, then post.

You can also access First Draft directly from the Instagram camera while recording new footage[citation:2][citation:17].

What First Draft actually does

Instagram says the tool works through three steps: analyzing your clips, identifying the highlights, and trimming them to reduce overall length[citation:11].

For videos with talking, First Draft identifies pauses and silences and automatically trims them, so the output has no gaps[citation:5]. In a test by PCMag, the feature reduced four clips totaling 20 seconds to a 7-second cut[citation:5].

Instagram told The Verge that First Draft does not use AI — it's classified internally as machine learning rather than AI[citation:17].

Who is it for

Instagram said it created First Draft because manual clip trimming can be "tedious and frustrating" for creators. The company told Mashable the tool is also beneficial for creators with accessibility needs[citation:11].

First Draft is initially rolling out on iPhone only. Instagram hasn't announced when it will come to Android[citation:5][citation:17].

How it compares to other tools

Automated editing already exists elsewhere — Adobe Firefly's Quick Cuts and CapCut's Auto Cut both offer similar capabilities, but both are AI-powered[citation:5]. Instagram's decision to build First Draft directly into its own app means creators don't have to move footage to a separate editor[citation:8].

What to do with this

If you're on iPhone, try First Draft the next time you have several clips and no patience for manual trimming. Treat the output as a starting point, not a finished Reel — you'll still want to add captions, choose music, and adjust the cut. If you're on Android, this feature isn't available yet.

Next: read how Instagram Instants works, or learn how the Reels algorithm ranks content.