LoginTry it Free

How to Add Subtitles in CapCut

On CapCut for desktop, choose Captions > Add Captions and pick the .srt; on CapCut for web, upload it in the Captions tab. The mobile app can't import subtitle files, but all three versions have Auto captions, which write subtitles from the speech.

At a glance

ImportsSRT on desktop and web; TXT with timecodes on desktop; nothing on mobile
Built-in auto captionsYes, on desktop, web and mobile; CapCut's help lists them under Pro while other CapCut pages call them free
Export as a fileSRT or TXT via Caption Export — for auto captions only
EncodingSave SRT files as UTF-8
Styling imported captionsSelect them together to restyle — Apply to all captions skips imported ones

Import an SRT on desktop or web

  1. Desktop: open the project, choose Captions > Add Captions in the top menu and select the .srt (or a .txt with timecodes).
  2. Web: open the project, go to the Captions tab in the left toolbar and upload the .srt.
  3. Each subtitle becomes a text block on the timeline that you can edit and style.

Generate captions from the speech

  1. Desktop: Captions in the left toolbar > Auto captions, choose the audio and language, and generate.
  2. Mobile: Captions in the bottom menu > Auto captions, confirm the language and generate.
  3. Web: Captions > Auto Captions > Recognise, choose the language and generate.

Export the subtitles as a file

In the export dialog, choose Caption Export instead of Video Export and pick SRT or TXT. According to CapCut's help, only captions made with Auto captions can be exported this way.

Things that trip people up

  • The mobile app can't import .srt or .txt; import on desktop or web, then keep editing on mobile.
  • Save SRT files as UTF-8 (without BOM if you hit encoding errors) and keep the export path free of special characters.
  • Imported captions don't respond to Apply to all captions; select them together to restyle.
  • Whether Auto captions need Pro is unclear from CapCut's own pages — check in your app and region.

Questions

Can I import an SRT file into CapCut on my phone?

No. SRT import is available on CapCut for desktop and web only.

Are CapCut auto captions free?

CapCut's pages disagree: its Standard vs Pro help lists auto captions as a Pro feature, while other pages call them free. Check in your app.

Can I export subtitles from CapCut as SRT?

Yes, via Caption Export, for captions created with Auto captions.

More guides