After an eight-year run, Apple has formally terminated the Clips app, a quirky video-editing tool that made creating content for social media easier.
On October 10, 2025, the app was removed from the App Store, and Apple announced that it would no longer receive updates.
New users cannot download Clips; however, Apple account holders can use and redownload it. Apple’s software strategy is shifting towards AI-driven editing tools in iMovie and Photos.
Clips app discontinued: What it means for users
Apple announced in 2017 that Clips would make it easy to create shared films with video clips, photographs, voice-based titles, filters, music, and graphics. Live Titles, which translate voice to text in many languages, and augmented reality were emphasised. But in recent years, the app hasn’t received any significant feature updates, just minor bug patches. If future iOS updates cause compatibility issues, Apple’s support page now suggests that users store their existing Clips recordings and projects to the Photos app or other storage choices to prevent losing access.
Why Apple is ending Clips
Apple discontinued Clips to streamline its app lineup in the face of competition from TikTok, Instagram Reels, and Snapchat Stories, which offer AI-powered editing capabilities and large social networks.
Apple’s emphasis on video editing has migrated to professional tools optimised for hardware, such as Final Cut Pro, and to augmented editing features integrated into its native applications. Despite its initial promise, Clips, which has been characterised as “simple to a fault,” has been unable to establish a substantial user base, resulting in its relegation to a niche audience.
Existing users retain access, but should back up their content
Though Clips remains functional on iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 or earlier, Apple’s advice is clear: export videos to safer storage before compatibility issues arise.
The company’s decision underscores the discreet retirement of one of its most experimental social media tools, which never quite matched the explosive growth and feature sets of its competitors. For those who have active projects or nostalgic mementoes in Clips, the moment has come to protect their creative work before the app recedes into the annals of technology.