Meta Adds Carousel Creation to the Edits App

TL;DR: Meta has rolled out native carousel creation inside its Edits app, giving Instagram creators a dedicated workflow to build photo and video carousels without leaving the platform.

What Happened

Meta has updated its Edits app with a brand-new carousel creation feature, and it is a meaningful upgrade for anyone who publishes on Instagram. The update lets creators combine photos and videos into a single carousel post, experiment with different layouts, apply text using Edits-native fonts and styles, and even create custom cutout stickers to layer on slides.

The workflow lives inside the app under Projects, then Carousels, making it a dedicated space rather than a buried setting. Egline Samoei first flagged the rollout on X, noting that the feature is now live for creators.

This is a notable move by Meta. Until now, Edits was primarily focused on video editing, positioning itself as a direct competitor to CapCut. Adding carousel creation pulls the app into territory that was previously handled by third-party tools or Instagram's own native composer, which has always been limited in its design flexibility.

Why It Matters

For carousel creators, this update changes the production workflow in a few important ways.

First, it centralises creation. Previously, building a strong Instagram carousel often meant designing slides in a separate tool, exporting them, and then uploading through the Instagram app. Now, creators can stay inside Edits from concept to publish, which reduces friction and speeds up the process.

Second, the inclusion of Edits fonts and styles means carousels built inside the app will have a visual consistency that feels native to Instagram. Custom cutout stickers add a layer of personality that can make individual slides more engaging and shareable.

Third, and perhaps most importantly, mixing photos and videos within a single carousel is a capability that opens up new storytelling formats. A creator can now open with a static title card, walk through a concept with short video clips, and close with a text-heavy summary slide, all in one cohesive post. This kind of mixed-media carousel has been a growing trend among top creators, and having native tooling to support it lowers the barrier significantly.

For a deeper look at how carousel formats perform on Instagram, check out our carousel trends coverage and our guides section for step-by-step creation advice.

What You Should Do Now

1. Update the Edits app and explore the Carousels section. Open Projects inside Edits and look for the Carousels option. If you do not see it yet, check for an app update in your device's app store. Meta sometimes rolls features out in waves, so it may take a day or two to reach all accounts.

2. Audit your current carousel workflow. If you are currently designing slides in a separate tool and uploading them manually, map out where Edits could replace steps. The native font and layout tools may not cover every design need, but for creators who prioritise speed over pixel-perfect customisation, this could become the default workflow.

3. Experiment with mixed photo and video carousels this week. The ability to blend static images with short video clips inside a single carousel is the standout new capability here. Try building one carousel that uses a video clip as the first slide to capture attention in the feed, then follows with static informational slides. Mixed-media formats tend to drive higher swipe-through rates because the video autoplay creates an immediate hook.

4. Test the custom cutout sticker feature for branding. Creating a branded cutout sticker and applying it consistently across your carousel slides is a low-effort way to reinforce visual identity without needing a separate design tool.

The Bigger Picture

This update is part of a broader pattern from Meta. The company has been steadily building Edits into a full-stack content creation tool, and adding carousel support signals that Meta wants creators to spend more of their production time inside Meta-owned apps rather than in third-party alternatives.

For carousel creators, that has mixed implications. On one hand, native tools tend to be optimised for the platform's own algorithm and upload specifications, which can mean fewer formatting issues and better compatibility with Instagram's carousel player. On the other hand, relying on a single platform's native tool creates dependency, and the feature set will always be shaped by Meta's priorities rather than creator needs.

It is also worth noting the parallel trend happening in AI-assisted content creation. A Hacker News thread this week highlighted an experiment where a developer gave an AI system full control over website development and advertising budgets across Google, X, LinkedIn, and Reddit, letting it make autonomous decisions. While that experiment is more extreme than most creators would consider, it points to a direction the industry is moving: AI taking on more of the production and distribution workflow, not just assisting with it.

For carousel creators, the practical takeaway is that the tools available in 2026 are increasingly capable of handling the mechanical parts of creation. The strategic and creative judgment, knowing what story to tell, what hook will land with your specific audience, and what call to action drives real results, remains the human edge.

If you are thinking about how to structure your carousels for maximum impact regardless of which tool you use, our templates library has layouts built around proven formats, and the LinkedIn Carousel Size Guide covers the specs you need if you are cross-posting to LinkedIn.

The Edits carousel feature is a welcome addition to the creator toolkit. It will not replace dedicated design tools for everyone, but for creators who prioritise speed and native integration, it is worth building into your workflow today.

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Related: LinkedIn Carousel Size Guide · Carousel Templates · Carousel Creation Tools