You’ll soon be able to use YouTube’s mobile video editor, YouTube Create, on iOS. Nearly two years after releasing the app exclusively for Android, Google is working on an iPhone and iPad version. Job advertisements reveal that Google has begun recruiting engineers in Bengaluru to build the iOS app.
You’re about to see editing tools on your Apple device
The original Android version of YouTube Create was launched in September 2023 across the US and seven additional countries. By February 2024, it had expanded to 13 more markets. Now, YouTube is gearing up for an iOS release and hiring software engineers specifically for that project in India. This suggests the company is turning its attention seriously to Apple devices.
YouTube Create is a free mobile video editing tool suite that is perfect for content creators. Whether you’re working on shorts or longer videos, you can add stickers, GIFs, filters, and more. Before creating the app, Google spoke with over 3,000 creators to tailor it to their needs, ensuring ease of use and relevance of features.
You’ll notice a big gap in users and engagement
CapCut was downloaded 66 million times on Android in the second quarter of this year alone, while InShot saw 21 million downloads. YouTube Create, by contrast, managed fewer than 500,000 downloads in that same period and just over 4 million since its launch. It’s still far behind. CapCut has an impressive 442 million monthly active Android users in Q2, and InShot follows with 92 million. YouTube Create falls below 1 million monthly users.
If you switch to iOS, you’ll see a similar landscape. On Apple devices in Q2, CapCut again led with 194 million monthly active users, while InShot had 25 million. Regarding downloads, CapCut and Instagram Edit held the top positions with 28 million and 7 million downloads this quarter, respectively—far ahead of YouTube Create, which hasn’t launched yet.
Still, there’s some good news. YouTube Create grew its monthly active users by 28 per cent year‑on‑year in Q2, outpacing CapCut’s 9 per cent rise. InShot, meanwhile, declined 7 per cent. This suggests that while it has fewer users overall, YouTube Create may be building a steadier audience.
Abe Yousef, senior insights analyst at Sensor Tower, explains: “While boasting solid user growth on a year‑over‑year basis, YouTube Create has struggled to keep up with some of its larger, more established peers such as CapCut, with the latter having more than 10× the number of monthly active users.”
He adds that the steady increase in active users—but declining downloads—could mean people who tried YouTube Create are returning repeatedly, building loyalty. CapCut, on the other hand, benefits from being years old and its integration with TikTok, which helps explain its dominance.
Despite this, retention presents a challenge. According to Q1 data, just 1 per cent of YouTube Create users still use the app 90 days after download. CapCut retains about 7 per cent, and InShot retains 4 per cent.
Engagement statistics are just as telling. Users spend an average of 38 minutes monthly on YouTube Create, compared with 62 minutes on CapCut. CapCut users open the app more frequently—around 23 monthly sessions versus 11 for YouTube Create.
You’ll find the app growing around the world
It’s not all about Android or iOS. Geographically, YouTube Create is expanding its reach. India made up 67 per cent of its user base a year ago. Now, that figure has dropped to 51 per cent, meaning more people are using it elsewhere. Despite this, it remains quite sticky in India—daily‑to‑monthly active user ratios have improved from 9 per cent last year to 12 per cent this year.
Indonesia is now the second‑largest market outside India, constituting 21 % of global monthly active users. It is followed by Germany at 5 %, Brazil at 4 %, and the UK at 3 %. The app is also seeing strong year‑on‑year user growth in Spain (+119 %), South Korea (+91 %), France (+89 %), and Singapore (+71 %).
Abe Yousef said, “An iOS release of YouTube Create could help the platform grow its market share, though fierce competition in the space both from other social media‑backed video editing platforms and native video editors will persist.”
In short, you’re about to get YouTube’s mobile video editor on your iPhone or iPad. While it has a long way to go, growing user numbers and global spread suggest it might just carve out its place in the crowded world of mobile video editing.
