For the past month or so, I’ve been seeing random posts on social media about a more desktop-like CapCut experience being available for iPad users. But when I looked at the existing iPad app, it seemed more like a blown-up iPhone app.

Apparently, what these creators and influencers were talking about was a new standalone app called CapCut Pad. And I didn’t see it because it’s not currently available in the U.S.

You can see an example of CapCut Pad running on iPad in this video:

What Is CapCut Pad?

First things first: if you haven’t heard of CapCut, it’s a free, cross-platform video editing app developed by ByteDance, best known for its popular TikTok app, which is constantly mired in governmental drama in the U.S. I won’t even attempt to summarize what’s going on with that, so you can Google it if you’re curious. This drama is likely why this app hasn’t been launched in the US.

Based on the App Store listing, which is all I have to go off of, CapCut Pad is a dedicated video editing app designed specifically for the iPad. It brings more advanced video editing tools and creative workflows tailored to the iPad’s large touchscreen and performance capabilities.

The interface doesn’t look or feel too far off from Final Cut Pro on iPadOS, which suggests the team at ByteDance has put in the work to make this properly touch-optimized, rather than shipping a lazy port of CapCut Desktop.

One of the more prominent features of this app is its support for multi-track editing. Apparently, the mobile version of CapCut only supports single-track editing, based on the linked video above.

CapCut Pad also features, of course, AI tools, making it easier to generate and enhance content to complement your video using prompts.

Key Features

• Multi-track timeline editing for building complex video projects on iPad
• High-quality exports, including up to 4K at 60fps
• Precise trimming and clip controls, including split and merge tools
• Keyframe animation support for motion, effects, and transitions
• Auto captions with automatic subtitle generation
• Chroma key (green screen) tools for background replacement
• Video stabilization to smooth shaky footage
• Advanced speed controls, including slow motion and speed curves
• One-tap background removal
• Text-to-speech and AI-assisted text tools
• Built-in filters, effects, stickers, and music library
• Direct sharing to platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram

Why This Matters

TikTok, and by extension, CapCut, are incredibly popular apps on the platforms where they’re available. It says something that, despite the naysayers who claim you can’t do real work or create seriously on an iPad, ByteDance chose to invest resources into building a tablet-optimized editor.

At the end of the day, this is another pro-level app for the platform, which is always a win for those of us who use the iPad as a primary creation device.

Availability

As mentioned earlier, CapCut Pad is not currently available in the U.S., and it’s unclear if it ever will be. Its current availability appears limited to parts of Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and select Asian markets. That’s based solely on visible App Store listings and is not comprehensive.

CapCut Pad is available on the App Store here (this link is for the Indonesia App Store, but maybe it’ll work in your region!).