How-to · beginner · 4 min read
How to edit your iPhone videos using a reference Reel or TikTok
Share an Instagram Reel or TikTok to Vyra on iPhone, add your own footage and ask for the pacing or caption style you want to match.
By Sulan Zhang, co-founder of Vyra · Updated 2026-11-10
- App
- Vyra AI Video Editor for iPhone
- Reference
- A video shared from Instagram or TikTok
- Your footage
- Clips you add from Photos
- You choose
- Which parts of the editing style to follow
Real examples from @sulansart
More on InstagramTo edit your iPhone videos using a reference, share an Instagram Reel or TikTok to Vyra. Save the reference or start a project from it, add your own clips and tell Vyra which parts of the edit to follow. You can ask for similar pacing, caption placement or music behavior while keeping your own footage and story.
Pick one thing you like about the reference before you start. "Use short captions like this" gives the app a clearer instruction than "make mine look like this."
Use a reference in the iPhone app
- Find the reference. Open the Reel or TikTok you want to use as an editing reference. Choose something with a structure that fits your footage.
- Share it to Vyra. Open the video's sharing options and choose Vyra from the iPhone share sheet. If it is not visible, check the sheet's list of apps and make sure Vyra is installed.
- Save it or start a project. Vyra lets you keep a shared reference in your collection or start a project from it. For this edit, start the project and add the clips you filmed.
- Ask for a description first. Have Vyra describe the reference's pacing, captions and use of music. Correct anything it misunderstood before asking for the edit.
- State what to copy. For example, "Match the caption placement and short cuts. Keep my clip order and original audio."
- Review the draft. Watch it with your own footage and ask for one change at a time. Use the timeline for an exact trim, then export to Photos or share from your iPhone.
The share menu belongs to Instagram or TikTok, so its layout can change. The workflow above follows Caleb's mobile release post, which describes sharing from both apps into Vyra.
If the reference does not reach the project or will not open, check the reference troubleshooting guide before changing your edit.
Tell Vyra which part of the style you mean
| You like | Describe it this way |
|---|---|
| The opening | Start with my finished result, then show the process |
| The pace | Keep the setup brief and hold longer on the reveal |
| The captions | Use short bold phrases in the same part of the frame |
| The audio changes | Lower the music under speech and bring it back during the silent shots |
| The structure | Follow the order of hook, process and result using my clips |
The original reference may use effects or footage that your project does not have. Vyra can use the reference as a guide, but exact reproduction of every effect is not guaranteed.
Prompts to try
Describe the attached reference's pacing, caption placement and music changes before editing. Tell me which parts would work with the clips I added.
Use this reference for caption placement and pacing. Edit only my footage, keep my clips in their current order and keep the original speech. Aim for 30 seconds. Where the reference conflicts with this prompt, follow my prompt.
Follow the reference's opening structure. Show my finished painting first, then the process, then the finished piece again. Use my footage throughout. Keep the last shot long enough to see the details.
Fix a draft that follows the wrong thing
| What happened | What to say next |
|---|---|
| The app changed your story order | Keep my original clip order and match only the caption style |
| It rushed through the important moment | Hold on my finished result longer and shorten the setup |
| It used a different caption treatment | Describe the reference captions, then change only their placement and weight |
| The music covers your voice | Keep my spoken audio clear and lower the music while I talk |
| The style request is too broad | Match one property first, such as caption placement, and leave everything else alone |
Your footage stays the subject
Add enough material to tell your own story. A reference cannot supply a missing shot of your finished work. If your video needs a reveal, film that reveal and add it to the project.
Use references to guide editing choices. Keep the footage, music and other material in your own video to things you have permission to use. Vyra does not generate video footage from the reference.
The reels above are examples of edits made in Vyra, not recordings of the iPhone share sheet.
Free and paid exports
New mobile accounts currently get 100 free credits. Free exports are 720p with a watermark. Plus and Pro plans are available in the App Store. AI analysis and editing need an internet connection. There is no Android app yet.
FAQ
Can I share a Reel or TikTok straight to Vyra?
Yes. Caleb's mobile release post documents sharing videos from Instagram and TikTok to Vyra, then saving the reference or starting a project.
Will the reference become footage in my video?
The workflow here uses it to guide the edit. Ask Vyra to edit only the clips you supplied and to use the reference for the properties you name.
Can I match only the captions?
Yes. Ask for the caption style and placement while leaving your pacing, audio and clip order unchanged.
Do I need Claude or ChatGPT for this?
No. You can use Vyra's built-in chat in the iPhone app. Connecting an external AI assistant is a separate option.
Sources
Caleb's mobile release post describes the reference-sharing workflow. The App Store listing describes saved references, chat edits and the manual timeline. Checked November 8, 2026.
Related
- /ai-video-editor-app
- /features/reference-style-matching
- /prompts/reference-style
- /how-to/add-captions-to-videos-on-iphone
- /how-to/add-transitions-to-videos-on-iphone