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CapCut Basics: How to Edit Video on Your Phone

CapCut makes it easy to edit videos entirely from your phone. Here's the basic workflow to make your first edit.

  1. Import the Clips or Photos You Want to Edit

    Open CapCut, tap 'New Project,' and import the video clips and photos you want to work with.

  2. Trim Clips and Arrange the Order

    Drag clips on the timeline to reorder them, and trim out any parts you don't need.

  3. Add Captions, Effects, and Filters

    Add captions and apply trending effects or filters to give the video more style.

  4. Add Background Music and Export

    Add a background track that fits the mood, then tap 'Export' to save the finished video.

  5. Why It's Worth It

    You don't need to learn a complex editing program β€” CapCut lets you make trend-ready short videos for platforms like TikTok or Instagram Reels using just your phone.

Auto-captions can save a lot of editing time

CapCut's automatic captioning feature transcribes speech in a clip and generates styled on-screen text, which can be edited afterward for accuracy and timing. For talking-head or voiceover content especially, generating captions this way is usually much faster than typing them out manually, though it's worth proofreading before exporting since transcription isn't always perfect.

Keeping projects organized as edits get longer

As a project grows to include multiple clips, text layers, and effects, using CapCut's layering and grouping features keeps everything manageable, and periodically previewing the full timeline helps catch timing issues before export. Saving a project as a draft rather than exporting immediately also makes it easy to come back and adjust later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CapCut free to use?

CapCut has a substantial free tier covering most core editing, effects, and export features; a paid subscription unlocks some premium templates and effects and removes certain limitations, but it isn't required for basic editing.

Can I edit the same project on both my phone and a computer?

Yes, CapCut is also available as a desktop app, and projects saved to a CapCut account can often sync between devices, though very complex projects may render slightly differently depending on the platform's feature set.