CapCut Video Editing Guide — Beginner to Pro Tutorial (2025)
Whether you have never edited a video before or you are looking to take your CapCut skills to the next level, this complete guide covers everything you need to know. From your first cut to advanced color grading, AI tools, and export settings — this is the only CapCut tutorial you will need in 2025.
First time using CapCut?
Make sure you have CapCut installed first. Download the latest CapCut APK here or read our installation guide.
Part 1: Getting Started with CapCut
When you open CapCut for the first time, you will see the main screen with two options: New Project and Templates. For manual editing, tap New Project. You will be taken to your phone's gallery to select the videos and photos you want to edit.
Select your clips in the order you want them to appear in your video — CapCut will arrange them in that order on the timeline. Once imported, you will see the main editing screen with your video preview at the top and the timeline at the bottom.
Part 2: Basic Editing — Trim, Cut, and Split
Trimming a Clip
Tap on a clip in the timeline to select it. Drag the white handles on either side of the clip to trim the start or end. This removes unwanted footage from the beginning or end of a clip.
Splitting a Clip
Move the playhead (white vertical line) to the exact point where you want to cut. Tap the Split button in the bottom toolbar. This divides your clip into two separate segments you can edit independently.
Deleting a Segment
After splitting, select the segment you want to remove and tap the Delete button. This removes the selected portion from your video.
Reordering Clips
Press and hold any clip in the timeline, then drag it to a new position. This lets you rearrange the order of your video segments.
Part 3: Adding Text, Stickers, and Captions
Text overlays are essential for social media videos. In CapCut, tap the Text button in the bottom toolbar to add text. You can choose from dozens of font styles, colors, animations, and effects. Position the text anywhere on screen by dragging it.
For automatic captions, use CapCut's Auto Caption feature — tap Text > Auto Captions and CapCut will transcribe your video's speech into subtitles automatically. This is one of the most powerful features in CapCut and works surprisingly accurately in multiple languages.
Part 4: Adding Music and Audio
Good audio can make or break a video. Tap the Audio button in the bottom toolbar to access CapCut's music library. You can browse by genre, mood, or use the search bar to find specific songs. All music in CapCut's built-in library is royalty-free and safe to post on social media.
You can also import your own audio files, extract audio from other videos, or record a voiceover directly in CapCut using the Voiceover feature. For more info on all audio tools, visit our CapCut features page.
Part 5: Applying Effects, Filters, and Transitions
CapCut has hundreds of effects and filters. Tap Effects in the bottom toolbar to browse Video Effects and Body Effects. Video effects apply to the entire clip or a selected portion, while body effects use AI to track and apply effects to people in the frame.
Transitions go between clips. Tap the small white icon between two clips in the timeline to open the transitions panel. Choose from basic fades and slides to more dramatic glitch and zoom transitions. Adjust the duration to control how long each transition lasts.
Part 6: Using AI Tools in CapCut
CapCut's AI tools are some of the most impressive features available for free. Here are the most useful ones and how to use them. For a complete breakdown, visit our CapCut AI features guide.
Background Removal
Select your clip > tap Remove BG in the toolbar. CapCut automatically removes the background using AI. Works best with clear contrast between subject and background.
Auto Captions
Tap Text > Auto Captions. Select your language and tap Start. CapCut transcribes speech and places synced captions on your video automatically.
Smart Cutout
Isolates any subject from the background. Tap Smart Cutout and trace around the subject — AI will refine the selection automatically.
AI Portrait
Enhances faces in your video. Smooth skin, add glow effects, reshape features. Tap Retouch in the toolbar to access these tools.
Part 7: Exporting Your Video
When your video is ready, tap the Export button (arrow icon) in the top right corner. CapCut lets you choose the resolution (from 480p to 4K), frame rate (24fps to 60fps), and bit rate. For social media, 1080p at 30fps is the standard choice. For YouTube, 1080p or 4K at 60fps gives the best quality.
CapCut exports your video with no watermark — completely free. This is one of the biggest advantages CapCut has over competitors like KineMaster and InShot, which charge for watermark-free exports.