Apple quietly confirmed on its official technical support page that it has officially stopped updating and removed the product from the shelves.Our own short video editing app "Clips"Launched in 2017, this social video creation tool was even considered Apple's lightweight solution for the short video era. However, it eventually became a thing of the past due to low usage and overlapping functions.
It has been removed from the App Store and can no longer be downloaded by new users.
According to Apple's announcement, Clips is no longer available for download on the App Store. New users will not be able to download and install it through the App Store in the future, but users who have previously installed it can still re-download it from their account history. However, Apple did not specify how long Clips will remain available on the App Store, allowing users who have previously installed it to continue downloading it and using it on their iPhone or iPad.
Apple reminds existing users that they should save videos previously created through Clips to the photo library or back them up to other storage locations as soon as possible to avoid loss of the materials after the service is removed from the shelves or updates are terminated in the future.
Once considered part of Apple's short video strategy
Clips was originally launched in 2017, allowing users to quickly record and edit videos on their iPhone or iPad, add text captions, filters, and background music, and quickly share them on social media platforms. At the time, the short video craze was booming, and Apple hoped to attract casual users to create content through this lightweight tool, thereby promoting the shooting, editing, and production capabilities of its devices.
However, with the rise of platforms like Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts, which already boast powerful editing and effects capabilities, Clips's positioning has gradually become blurred. Although Apple subsequently added AR effects, Memoji, and spatial audio support to Clips, it has been unable to overcome its lukewarm reception in the mainstream market.
Lightweight creation tools whose functions have been replaced by the times
For most iPhone users, the built-in "Photo" editing function of iOS is likely to meet the needs of short video processing. In addition, the popularity of various professional and community-oriented video tools on the App Store makes Clips redundant.
Industry analysts believe that Apple's move is not only part of its product line streamlining, but may also mean that the company will shift its focus on future audio and video creation to integrating into a more complete and professional ecosystem such as Final Cut Pro.
Passer-by in the era of short videos
The demise of Clips may symbolize Apple's strategic exit from the "tool layer" of short video creation. While it initially brought a fresh experience to mobile video creation, as the market shifted its focus to platforms and communities, Clips ultimately became one of Apple's many experimental products that "faded with the times."
