How to Remove Background in CapCut: Cutout, Edges & Reimport

To remove a background in CapCut, select your video on the timeline, open Video → Remove BG, and turn on Auto removal. Use Custom removal to tidy a selection, or Chroma key to remove a green screen.

Below, you'll learn how to remove background in CapCut on desktop and mobile, add a replacement background, and import an external cutout when you want to try a different result.

Choose Auto removal, Custom removal, or Chroma key

The right tool depends on how your video was filmed:

Start with Auto removal for a room, street, or other mixed background. Choose Chroma key when the backdrop is a uniform color. If your subject wears that same color, use subject removal instead so the clothing stays visible.

Desktop screenshots: CapCut 9.6.0 for Mac.

Remove a background with Auto removal

For a talking-head video or another shot of a person, start with CapCut's automatic background removal.

1. Open your project and click Import to add the video.
2. Drag the video onto the timeline, then click the timeline clip to select it.
3. In the right panel, open Video → Remove BG.
4. Turn on Auto removal and let CapCut finish the cutout.
5. Play the clip to see how the selection follows the person.

To add a new scene, import a background image or video and place it on a lower track, with the cutout above it. Extend the background to cover the full clip, then position and resize the person in the player.

For a solid backdrop, select the subject clip and open Video → Basic → Canvas → Color. Choose a swatch; scroll down the Basic panel if Canvas isn't visible.

A Pro diamond marks a paid feature. You'll need CapCut Pro to export an edit that uses a Pro tool, such as the Auto removal option shown above.

Refine edges manually with Custom removal

Use Custom removal when Auto removal leaves a small patch of background or cuts away part of the subject. This is the place to start when you need to manually remove a background in CapCut without rebuilding the whole selection.

1. Select the clip and open Video → Remove BG → Custom removal.
2. Pause on a frame where the unwanted area is easy to see. Zoom into the player for a closer view.
3. Choose Smart brush to keep a missed area, or an eraser to remove unwanted background.
4. Reduce Size near fingers or hair and make short strokes along the problem area.
5. Click Apply, then scrub backward and forward to check the correction through the movement.

If a correction removes too much, undo it and try a smaller stroke. Work on the affected area rather than tracing the entire person again. When the hand is already blurred in the original recording, concentrate on keeping its outline consistent instead of trying to separate every finger.

Remove a green screen with Chroma key

Chroma key works best with an evenly lit screen. Put the replacement background on the lower track and the screen footage above it, then select the upper clip.

1. Open Video → Remove BG → Chroma key.
2. Click Color picker, then click a clean patch of the screen in the player. Avoid the edge of the subject.
3. Raise Intensity gradually until the broad screen area disappears.
4. Adjust Shadow and Feather edge while watching the hairline and clothing.
5. Play the clip over the replacement background and check for remaining screen color.

Stop increasing Intensity once the screen clears. If fine hair begins to disappear, lower it slightly. Keep Feather edge subtle: too much softening can leave a visible halo. Adjust by the preview rather than copying the slider values in the screenshot.

For more on setting up the shot, see CapCut's green-screen guide. You can also use our Chroma key remover to process solid-color footage before editing.

Remove a background on CapCut mobile

On your phone, the Remove BG controls sit in the clip's editing toolbar.

1. Tap New project, choose your video, and tap Add.
2. Tap the clip on the timeline. Open Edit → Remove BG; swipe along the toolbar if you don't see it immediately.
3. Choose Auto removal for ordinary footage, Custom removal for brush corrections, or Chroma key for a solid-color screen.
4. Preview the result, then tap the export icon in the upper-right corner to save the video.

To place the person over a different scene, add the replacement background to the main track and add the subject video as an Overlay. Remove the overlay's background, then resize and position it over the scene.

Import an external cutout into CapCut

If you're still unhappy with the selection, try the same section in VideoBGRemover, then bring the cutout back into your CapCut project. The video background-removal guide walks through uploading, processing, and downloading a result.

Keep the original clip so you can compare the same gesture or head turn. Choose the result that fits your shot, then continue with captions, music, and the rest of the edit in CapCut.

Bring back a transparent ProRes MOV

For CapCut on Mac, start with a transparent ProRes 4444 MOV. VideoBGRemover offers this option for selections up to 10 seconds with source dimensions up to 1920×1080, or 1080×1920 in portrait orientation.

1. After processing, open Export → Change format → Transparent ProRes MOV.
2. Wait for the export to finish and download the MOV.
3. Import it into CapCut and put it above your replacement background.
4. Play the clip. The background should show through around the subject.

You can also use Basic → Canvas → Color to put white or another contrasting color behind the cutout. In the example below, the ProRes import reveals the white Canvas, while the WebM import remains black. If a WebM gives you the same black rectangle, switch to the MOV route. See transparent video formats for the available outputs.

Use a solid-background MP4 as a fallback

If Transparent ProRes MOV isn't available for your clip, export a solid-background MP4 and remove that color in CapCut:

1. In VideoBGRemover's Background panel, choose a solid color that isn't present in the subject.
2. Open Export → Change format → Background MP4, then download the finished file.
3. Import it into CapCut, place it above the new background, and open Chroma key.
4. Pick the baked-in background color and adjust Intensity until it clears.

This route can leave color around fine hair or clothing, so use the transparent MOV when it's available. Trim an empty lead-in if the download starts with blank frames. Before finishing the full edit, export a short MP4 from CapCut and play it to check the picture and sound together.

Clean up hair and moving hands before exporting

A cutout may look clean when the subject is still and break up as soon as a hand crosses the face. Scrub to the fastest gesture, then watch it at normal speed over your intended background.

Look for leftover background between the fingers, missing hair, or an outline that flickers between frames. Use Custom removal for a small selection error. For a color-keyed clip, ease back Intensity if the subject's edge is disappearing.

The clip below shows an external cutout after import and export through CapCut. Watch the hand as it crosses the face: its soft outline is most noticeable during the quick movement. Judge the result at your final viewing size before committing to a longer edit.

Once the edges look right, click Export, choose a resolution and frame rate that suit the project, and save the finished video. Reopen the saved file for one final look at the moving edges and a listen to the audio.

Frequently asked questions

Can I remove a background in CapCut for free?

CapCut includes free and Pro editing tools. A Pro diamond means that feature requires a Pro subscription; Auto removal is marked Pro in the desktop interface above. For solid-color footage, Chroma key provides another removal method.

Why does an imported transparent video look black?

CapCut may not be reading the file's transparency. Put a contrasting background underneath the clip: if a black rectangle remains, use a transparent ProRes MOV instead of the WebM import.

Where is Remove BG in CapCut?

Select the video on the timeline first. On desktop, open Video → Remove BG in the right panel. On mobile, open the selected clip's editing toolbar and swipe to Remove BG.

Is the finished MP4 transparent?

The MP4 from this workflow combines the subject with your chosen background. Keep the transparent MOV or WebM master separately if you want to change the background in a future edit.

Footage credits: Presenter footage by Antoni Shkraba and waving-hand footage by Pavel Danilyuk, under the Pexels license.