How to Make Short Videos with CapCut

Create polished short videos and social media Reels using CapCut — a free, beginner-friendly video editing app.

In this guide (6 steps):

1.Download CapCut
2.Start a new project
3.Trim clips and reorder
4.Add music
5.Add text and captions
6.Export and share

Download CapCut

~16s

Open the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play Store (Android) and search for "CapCut." Download and install the free app. Open it and create a free account using your email address or sign in with Google.

Quick Tip

You do not need to connect CapCut to TikTok to use it.

Start a new project

~15s

Tap the large "+" button on the home screen. Select the photos and videos from your phone's gallery that you want to include in your video. Tap them in the order you want them to appear, then tap "Add" to bring them into the editor.

Trim clips and reorder

~21s

Tap any clip at the bottom of the screen to select it, then drag the handles on either end to trim it shorter. Press and hold a clip and drag it left or right to change the order. Aim to keep each clip between 2 and 5 seconds for a good pace.

Quick Tip

Tap the two-arrow icon between clips to add a transition effect.

Add music

~22s

Tap "Audio" at the bottom menu, then "Music." You can search for songs, browse by mood, or choose from CapCut's free library. Tap a song to preview it, then tap "+" to add it to your video. Use the volume slider to set how loud the music is compared to any original audio.

Warning

If you plan to share on social media, use songs from CapCut's free library to avoid copyright issues.

Add text and captions

~15s

Tap "Text" to add titles, captions, or labels. Type your message, choose a font and color, and drag the text box to position it. For automatic captions of spoken words, tap "Auto Captions" and the app will transcribe your speech and display it as subtitles.

Export and share

~20s

When your video is ready, tap the export button (arrow pointing up or "1080P") in the top right corner. Choose 1080p resolution for the best quality. The video saves to your phone's camera roll. Then open Instagram, Facebook, or any other app to share it.

Quick Tip

Tap "Share" inside CapCut to post directly to TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube without leaving the app.

You Did It!

You've completed: How to Make Short Videos with CapCut

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CapCut is a free video editing app made by the same company as TikTok. It works on both iPhone and Android and is one of the most popular tools for creating short videos that look professional without any prior experience.

You can use CapCut to trim video clips, add music, text, captions, and special effects — all from your phone. It has templates that do most of the work for you, so you don't need to understand complicated editing software.

CapCut is popular for making birthday slideshows, family memory videos, travel recaps, and funny clips to share with friends or post on social media. Many people use it to create Instagram Reels, TikToks, and Facebook videos.

The app is completely free to download and use. Some premium effects and templates require a subscription, but there are hundreds of free options that are more than enough for most people. You can export finished videos in high quality and share them directly to any social media app.

One of CapCut's best features is Auto Captions, which automatically adds captions to your video by listening to the speech in it. This makes your videos accessible to people who watch without sound — which is about 85% of social media viewers.

If you've ever wanted to create a slideshow video for a grandchild's birthday or put together a highlight reel from a vacation, CapCut makes that possible in about 10 minutes.

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