Apple has officially ended support for its long-running Clips app, marking the end of an eight-year experiment in casual mobile video creation. The company confirmed that the app has been removed from the App Store and will no longer receive software updates, effectively retiring a product that once aimed to make short, shareable video editing accessible to everyone.
Launched in 2017, Clips was Apple’s attempt to blend simple video editing with the spontaneity of social media. It let users combine photos, clips, filters, captions, and background music into polished short videos — no professional tools required. While it gained early attention for its ease of use and playful design, the app never achieved the widespread adoption Apple likely hoped for. Over time, its updates became less frequent, and many of its features were gradually overshadowed by more popular platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and Snapchat’s in-app editors.
Apple’s decision to sunset the app means new users can no longer download Clips, though existing users will still be able to re-download it from their purchase history. However, Apple cautions that the app may not remain compatible with future versions of iOS and iPadOS. Users who have created videos in Clips are encouraged to export their projects to the Photos app to preserve their content.
The move reflects Apple’s broader focus on integrating creative tools directly into its core software rather than maintaining standalone apps. Many of the features that once set Clips apart — like effects, filters, and text overlays — are now built into iOS’s Camera and Photos apps. The retirement, while quiet, effectively closes the chapter on one of Apple’s more experimental media projects.
