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CapCut

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CapCut
Other namesJianYing
Viamaker
Developer(s)ByteDance
Initial releaseMay 2019; 5 years ago (2019-05)
Operating systemiOS
iPadOS
MacOS
Android
Microsoft Windows
PlatformiOS, Web browser, MacOS, iPadOS, Android, and Windows
PredecessorTikTok
SizeiOS: 419.5 MB
Available in24 languages
List of languages
TypeVideo editing software and Mobile app
LicenseProprietary
Websitecapcut.com Edit this at Wikidata

CapCut, known in China as JianYing (Chinese: 剪映; pinyin: Jiǎnyìng) and formerly internationally as ViaMaker, is a Chinese short-form video editing app developed by ByteDance.

History

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The app was first released in China in 2019 and was initially available for iPhone and Android.[1][2] In 2020, it was renamed as CapCut (formerly ViaMaker internationally) and became available internationally.[3] It later expanded to include web and desktop versions for Mac and Windows.[2]

In 2022, CapCut reached 200 million active users.[4] According to The Wall Street Journal, in March 2023, it was the second-most downloaded app in the U.S., behind that of Chinese discount retailer Temu.[5][6] In January 2025, CapCut had over 1 billion downloads on the Google Play Store. On January 18, 2025, at 10 PM EST, CapCut was banned in the United States. [7]

Controversies

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Messages displayed to US users who attempted to access CapCut through its website (top) and Google Play Store (bottom).

Illegal data collection

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On July 2023, many users of CapCut accused it for allegedly illegally profiting off their personal data. A class-action lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on July 28, 2023 alleged that CapCut illegally harvests and profits from user data including biometric information and geolocation without consent.[8][9]

Ban in the United States

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On January 18, 2025, CapCut was banned in the United States along with TikTok and all other ByteDance apps due to the implementation of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act.[7][10][11]

Message displayed to US users on the CapCut website after services resumed on January 20, 2025

Hours after the suspension of services took effect, President-elect Donald Trump indicated on Truth Social that he would issue an executive order on the day of his inauguration "to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect".[12][13] On January 21, CapCut began restoring service.[14]

Features

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CapCut supports basic video editing functions, including editing, trimming, and adding or splitting clips. Editing projects is limited to single-layer editing, but the app supports overlay options that enable additional effects, including multi-layer editing.[2]

The app includes a library of pre-made templates and a tool that generates editable video captions. Users can export or save completed projects directly to different social media platforms. CapCut includes a free version and a paid Pro version with cloud storage and advanced features.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Perez, Sarah (October 16, 2023). "ByteDance's video editor CapCut targets businesses with AI ad scripts and AI-generated presenters". TechCrunch.
  2. ^ a b c d Paris, Steve (December 4, 2023). "CapCut review". TechRadar.
  3. ^ "How ByteDance is Expanding Its Reach Beyond TikTok with CapCut". 29 March 2023.
  4. ^ "What Is CapCut? What You Should Know About TikTok's AI-Editing Sister App". CNET. Retrieved 2024-08-12.
  5. ^ Lu, Shen (2022-12-24). "American Bargain Hunters Flock to a New Online Platform Forged in China". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
  6. ^ "TikTok Executives Fretted About China Ties of CapCut Editing-App". The Information.
  7. ^ a b Cross, Greta (2025-01-16). "What happens with CapCut if TikTok gets banned? What we know about the video editing app". USA Today. Archived from the original on 2025-01-17. Retrieved 2025-01-17.
  8. ^ "Users of CapCut Video Editing App File Nationwide Class-Action Lawsuit Alleging Illegal Use of Sensitive Data | Hagens Berman". www.hbsslaw.com. 2023-08-01. Retrieved 2025-01-19.
  9. ^ "Lawsuit: ByteDance's CapCut app secretly reaps massive amounts of user data". therecord.media. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
  10. ^ Lawler, Richard (2025-01-19). "TikTok is down in the US". The Verge. Retrieved 2025-01-19.
  11. ^ Staff, WSYX (2025-01-18). "TikTok, CapCut and Lemon8 have been shut down in the U.S." WSYX. Retrieved 2025-01-19.
  12. ^ "Trump says he will 'most likely' give TikTok a 90-day extension to avoid a ban". nbcnews.com. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
  13. ^ Ha, Kyle Wiggers, Anthony (2025-01-19). "TikTok goes dark in the US". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2025-01-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ Feiner, Lauren (2025-01-21). "CapCut is back online in the US". The Verge. Archived from the original on 2025-01-21. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
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