Apple adds editing and collaboration features across Creator Studio apps

Apple announced updates to its Creator Studio apps on September 29, 2026, adding selection tools to Pixelmator Pro for iPad, Cinematic video editing for iPhone 18 Pro footage on Mac, and new features in Keynote, Pages, Numbers and Freeform. The changes span creative work and everyday documents; MacRumors reports that the updates are available now.

The announcement covers several apps rather than a single new Creator Studio tool. Apple describes new templates and editing controls for image and video projects, alongside ways to request access to shared files and organize Freeform boards. Its September announcement does not set out a separate timetable by app or region, so the same-day availability claim rests on MacRumors’ report.

Pixelmator Pro gains iPad selection tools and podcast templates

Pixelmator Pro for iPad gains Select and Mask, giving users controls to refine selections and masks. Apple says those controls can help preserve detail around complex edges, such as hair or fur. MacRumors identifies Select and Mask as a feature moving to the iPad app from the Mac version. Neither report provides an independent test of how well it handles difficult images.

On both Mac and iPad, Pixelmator Pro also gains two template collections. Apple says they include designs for sports and action projects and for launching an idea, business or product. A new Podcasts category provides cover artwork templates sized for major podcast platforms. These are starting points for making graphics; Apple has not specified the individual designs in the announcement text.

Final Cut Pro adds Cinematic editing for iPhone 18 Pro footage

Compressor can convert video carrying the new Cinematic mode effects back to the previous Cinematic mode format, according to Apple. It also gains HEVC and MPEG-4 export presets intended for social sharing. Those additions address output as well as editing, but Apple has not provided performance comparisons or examples of how the converted footage looks.

Keynote, Pages and Numbers change presentation and document work

Creator Studio subscribers get new templates and themes in Keynote, Pages and Numbers. Apple also says Keynote’s intelligent slide generation can create images tailored to a presentation. The announcement identifies the templates and themes as subscriber additions, but does not provide a complete feature-by-feature account of which other September changes require a subscription.

Users of Keynote, Pages and Numbers can request access to a shared presentation, document or spreadsheet, Apple says. That addresses a practical step in collaboration when someone receives a shared file without access. Apple lists the change across all three apps; the announcement does not describe any new permission levels or say that access is granted automatically.

Pages for Mac gains Screen View, which Apple describes as a layout optimized for reading and focused writing. Numbers adds trigonometry, statistics and logic functions for spreadsheets. These changes sit alongside the subscriber templates, but the September announcement does not fully specify the subscription requirements for each individual feature. Readers should therefore check the app’s availability information before assuming a particular tool is included in their version.

Freeform adds board folders and new visionOS controls

Freeform boards now adapt to Dark Mode, and folders let users arrange boards into collections and invite collaborators, according to Apple. The company also says Writing Tools with Apple Intelligence can rewrite, proofread and summarize handwritten notes in Freeform. Users can request access to shared files, while Shortcuts can automate adding content to a board.

In visionOS 27, Apple says Freeform users can pull several items from a board into their space, including images, videos, sticky notes, shapes and 3D models. It also describes viewing 3D models together as a group. Those features concern the visionOS version of Freeform; Apple’s announcement does not say that the spatial controls are coming to its Mac or iPad apps.

MacRumors reports that the updates were available on September 29 and lists Creator Studio at $12.99 per month. Apple’s September announcement supplied here does not state a price or distinguish a rollout date for each app and region. It also does not establish how the new tools perform in use. The confirmed development is Apple’s announced set of features, with same-day availability reported by MacRumors.