YouTube’s Easy Video Editor Is Finally Heading to iPhones

Good news for creators: YouTube’s handy mobile editor, YouTube Create, is coming to iOS after nearly two years on Android. Job postings spotted by TechCrunch show Google is hiring engineers in Bengaluru to build the iPhone version.

YouTube Create first launched on Android in September 2023 in the U.S. and seven other regions. By February 2024, it reached 13 more markets. The app gives free tools like stickers, GIFs, and effects for both Shorts and longer videos, right inside YouTube.

Behind the scenes, Google talked to 3,000 creators to shape YouTube Create’s features. The goal? To challenge popular rivals like ByteDance’s CapCut and InShot. But so far, YouTube’s editor trails behind: this quarter it got fewer than 500,000 Android downloads, compared to CapCut’s 66 million and InShot’s 21 million. Monthly users tell a similar story: CapCut has over 442 million, InShot 92 million, while YouTube Create sits under 1 million.

Still, YouTube Create is growing, its active users rose 28% year over year in Q2, outpacing CapCut’s 9% gain. That bump hints users who try it stick with it, even if new downloads lag. Its 90-day retention rate is around 1%, though, far below CapCut’s 7%.

India remains YouTube Create’s top market at 51% of active users, down from 67% last year as the app finds fans worldwide. Indonesia follows at 21%, then Germany, Brazil, and the U.K. Some countries show big growth, Spain up 119%, South Korea 91%, France 89%, and Singapore 71%.

An iOS launch could boost YouTube Create’s reach, but it’ll face stiff rivalry from CapCut, InShot, and those built-in phone editors. Still, having both Android and iOS versions means one more tool for creators on the go.