NEW CapCut Pad Tutorial: Desktop Editing on iPad (Step-by-Step)

Editing on an iPad just got a serious upgrade with CapCut Pad, bringing a desktop-style CapCut editing experience to tablet workflows. The app delivers timeline-based editing, advanced AI features, and multiple input options for fast, flexible iPad editing.

Below is an AI-assisted summary of the key points and ideas covered in the video. For more detail, make sure to check out the full time stamped video above!

What CapCut Pad is (and why it matters on iPad)

CapCut Pad looks and feels like the desktop version the moment it opens. The interface centers on a proper timeline, with a preview window, tool panels, and top navigation for audio, text, and effects.

Key points worth knowing up front:

• Input options: touch, Apple Pencil, mouse, or a mix of all three
• Projects: previous projects show along the bottom for quick access
• Highlighted features rotate on the home screen and include video translator, auto cut, enhanced quality, and script to video
• Pricing note: shows as free for a limited time and can run without signing in

Try CapCut Pad

Start a project and get your workspace set

1. Open CapCut Pad and choose Create a project.
2. The timeline editing interface appears immediately.
3. Panels can be resized to customize the layout like on desktop.
4. A connected keyboard enables shortcuts for actions like zooming the timeline.

Import footage (Photos vs Files) + fix playback lag

To start editing, bring in primary camera footage first.

1. Choose Import from Photos or Import from Files.
2. Select a clip to load it into the media area.
3. Add it to the timeline by tapping the + button or dragging it onto the timeline.

CapCut Pad may warn: “Your media may cause playback lag” and suggest transcoding. Use Transcode when the iPad is older, footage is high resolution or in demanding formats, or playback stutters while editing. Transcoding creates an optimized version for smoother editing.

Fast trimming: 3 ways to cut dead space and mistakes

Once clips are in the timeline, zoom in/out for more control and start tightening the edit. CapCut Pad gives multiple ways to cut, and mixing them speeds up the process.

Option 1: Trim with handles

• Select the clip and drag the white handle at the start or end.
• This sets new in/out points without splitting the clip.

Option 2: Split + delete

• Move the playhead to the cut point and tap Split.
• Select the unwanted segment and hit the trash can.

Option 3: One-tap ripple cuts (super fast)

• Use dedicated buttons to cut everything to the left or right of the playhead and delete it.
• This combines cut + select + delete in one move, which is excellent for speed.

Pro editing tip: use the audio waveform

• When editing talking-head footage, watch the audio waveform to spot where speaking starts and stops.
• Remove silent gaps and flubbed takes quickly without listening to every second.

AI transcript editing: delete words, filler, and pauses

CapCut Pad includes Transcript Editing, which transcribes the video and lets the timeline be edited by editing text.

How to use it:

1. Select Transcript editing and wait for the transcription to generate.
2. Delete repeated paragraphs or unwanted lines directly from the transcript.
3. Use detection tools to find filler words and pauses with gap timings shown.
4. Remove detected filler words and pauses automatically with one click.

This creates a clean base edit much faster and reduces rework.

Add B-roll (overlay video) the right way

After the base edit, add overlay clips that appear on top of the main talking-head footage.

1. Import another clip and drag it to the layer above the primary timeline so it overlays rather than replaces.
2. Adjust start and end using clip handles and reposition by dragging along the timeline.

Remove B-roll audio if it clashes:

• Select the B-roll clip, go to Audio, and turn the volume down to silence it.

Add titles and text (simple text + templates)

Text behaves like its own clip in the timeline, making timing and repositioning straightforward.

Basic text

1. Go to Text and add a default text box to the timeline.
2. Customize font, size, bold, and styling.
3. Position, scale, and rotate as needed.
4. Add bubble styles and text effects with one click.

Text templates (hundreds of options)

• Under Text templates, browse categories including trending social styles.
• Drag a template into the timeline, resize or reposition, and edit the text in real time.

Transitions vs “fake second camera” zoom cuts

Transitions can help, but they can also look gimmicky if overused.

Best practice:

• Use transitions sparingly, only when they add to the story.
• Avoid flashy transitions between very similar shots.

Cleaner trick:

• Skip the transition and scale or zoom one clip slightly.
• Line up the eyes so the cut feels natural.
• Don’t zoom too far to avoid quality loss.

This mimics switching cameras without a distracting effect.

Effects and AI tools (clip-based vs timeline-based)

CapCut Pad supports effects applied to single clips or over the timeline.

Apply effects to a single clip

• Stabilize shaky footage, enhance low-quality footage, extend a clip with AI, adjust eye line, relight a scene, or control speed.

Apply effects over the timeline

• Drag an effect onto the timeline to affect everything underneath.
• Timeline effects behave like clips: they can be trimmed, split, and moved.

Background removal:

• Use Remove BG and choose Auto removal to cut out the background for a clip.

Music and sound: what to use (and what to watch)

Under Audio, options include an AI music generator, a built-in music and SFX library, and a copyright checker (for TikTok).

Copyright heads-up:

• Built-in tracks may be fine for TikTok-style use but could cause issues elsewhere.
• Consider safer sources such as Epidemic Sound, Artlist, or Creator Mix.

Import limitation:

• Importing appears limited to bringing in a video file and extracting audio from it, rather than importing standalone audio files.

Mix audio levels properly (music, voice, meters)

To adjust audio:

1. Select a clip and go to Audio.
2. Use the volume slider and optional tools like fade in/out and normalize loudness.
3. Try AI voice enhancements to reduce background noise and improve clarity.

Turn on audio bars/meters for a visual guide:

• Aim for voice peaks roughly around -6 up to near 0.
• Avoid hitting 0 or going over to prevent distortion.

Music starting point:

• Set background music around -30 as a baseline and fine-tune from there using headphones.

Color correction and grading (save it until late)

Leave color until late to reduce processing load while cutting.

Option 1: Filters and presets

• Preview filters by tapping and apply to a single clip or the timeline.

Option 2: Adjustments for more control

• Use Adjust for automatic AI correction, color matching, LUTs, and manual controls like exposure, contrast, temperature, and color intensity.
• Save as a preset or hit Apply to all to push settings across clips.
• An adjustment clip/layer can apply changes to everything underneath.

Export settings + repurpose to vertical (9:16)

To export:

1. Go to Export.
2. Default settings usually match the imported footage (example: 1080p, 30fps).
3. Optional upgrades include 4K, codec adjustments, and higher bitrate.
4. Hit Export to save to the device.

To repurpose widescreen to vertical:

1. Change Ratio to 9:16.
2. Reposition and resize clips manually with tap + pinch to zoom + move.
3. Or use Auto reframe to automatically resize and reframe.

Ship faster and repurpose with ease

Get the base edit done fast with ripple cuts, waveforms, and transcript edits. Then layer in B-roll, titles, effects, audio, and color in that order.

Use transitions like seasoning, not the whole meal. When ready, export once for the main format and repurpose using ratio tools and Auto reframe.