Is CapCut Getting Banned in the US? Where Things Stand
No. As of September 2026 CapCut is legal and available in the US, on both the App Store and Google Play. Since January 22, 2026, US CapCut has been operated by TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, the company set up to meet the US divestiture law, so the ban that briefly took CapCut offline in January 2025 no longer applies. CapCut remains blocked in India, where it has been unavailable since 2020.
★★★★★ 4.9/5 · 27,000+ users
Updated September 25, 2026. Hooked is not affiliated with CapCut or ByteDance.
Where things stand in September 2026
- CapCut is on the US App Store (version 19.6.0, released September 21, 2026) and on Google Play (updated September 24, 2026).
- US CapCut falls under TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, which closed on January 22, 2026. Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX hold 15% each, and ByteDance keeps 19.9%.
- The app kept its name. There is no separate "CapCut US" app; the US listing is still "CapCut: Photo & Video Editor".
- Outside the US, CapCut is still run by ByteDance through Bytedance Pte. Ltd. in Singapore.
US timeline
The US law is the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. Its definition of a covered app is reported to include apps operated directly or indirectly by ByteDance, which is why CapCut was affected along with TikTok.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| April 24, 2024 | The divest-or-ban law is signed. Its definition is reported to cover ByteDance apps, including CapCut. |
| January 17, 2025 | The Supreme Court upholds the law in TikTok, Inc. v. Garland. |
| January 18-19, 2025 | CapCut goes dark for US users and is removed from the Apple and Google stores together with TikTok and Lemon8 (reported). |
| January 20, 2025 | An executive order tells the Attorney General not to enforce the law for 75 days. |
| January 21, 2025 | CapCut starts restoring service for existing US users, though it is still missing from the app stores (reported). |
| February 13, 2025 | Apple and Google put TikTok, CapCut and Lemon8 back in their US stores. |
| April 4, 2025 | A new executive order extends non-enforcement to June 19, 2025. |
| June 19, 2025 | Non-enforcement is extended to September 17, 2025. |
| July 2025 | Press reports say ByteDance plans a separate "CapCut US" app. That app never appeared. |
| September 16, 2025 | Non-enforcement is extended to December 16, 2025. |
| September 25, 2025 | An executive order approves the divestiture framework and extends non-enforcement by 120 days. |
| December 18, 2025 | ByteDance signs binding agreements to create TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC. |
| January 22, 2026 | The joint venture closes. TikTok's announcement says its safeguards "will also cover CapCut, and Lemon8". CapCut's US legal documents name the joint venture as operator from that date. |
Short-form video, made by AI
Make your next video without an editor
Describe the video and Hooked writes the hook, generates the clips with Veo 3.1, Kling or Seedance, adds captions and exports in 9:16 for TikTok, Reels and Shorts. In the browser, nothing to install.
What the joint venture means for CapCut users
For US users, CapCut now runs under the joint venture's data and security rules, which include hosting US data in Oracle's US cloud and reviewing source code. The app still appears in the US App Store under the seller name BYTEDANCE PTE. LTD.
We have not been able to verify how fully US data is separated from ByteDance, and critics say the deal leaves open questions. For everyday use, nothing changed: the same app, the same account and the same projects.
Other countries
India blocked CapCut in 2020 under Section 69A of its IT Act, and it is still unavailable there in 2026. CapCut was not on the government's June 29, 2020 list of 59 banned Chinese apps, even though many sites say it was. It is widely reported to have been blocked in a follow-up order covering 47 clone and variant apps in late July 2020, and the blocks were made permanent in January 2021. The government did not publish that second list, so the exact date comes from press reports.
We found no other national ban. CapCut says it reaches more than 660 million users across more than 170 markets. Some governments restrict ByteDance apps on government devices, but we could not verify CapCut-specific device bans.
How to back up your CapCut projects
Even without a ban, apps can go offline for a day or two, as CapCut did in January 2025. A backup costs little time.
- 1Export every finished video you care about as an MP4 and save it outside CapCut, for example to your camera roll, a computer or a cloud drive you control.
- 2Keep the original clips, photos and audio you used. CapCut projects point to these files, and you can rebuild an edit in another editor from them.
- 3If you pay for CapCut cloud storage, download drafts and materials you want to keep. The terms say cloud storage is suspended when a subscription ends.
- 4Note which templates, fonts and music you used, since those live inside CapCut and do not come with an exported file.
If you're leaving CapCut
If you want a second tool as a fallback, Hooked (hooked.so) makes short-form videos with AI, including UGC ads, captions and slideshows. Our CapCut pricing breakdown covers what CapCut's own plans cost if you are deciding whether to keep paying.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is CapCut banned in the US?
No. CapCut is legal and on the US App Store and Google Play as of September 2026. It was offline for US users for a short time in January 2025 and back in the stores on February 13, 2025.
Who runs CapCut in the US now?
TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, since January 22, 2026. Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX hold 15% each, and ByteDance keeps 19.9%.
Do I need to download a new CapCut US app?
No. A separate CapCut US app was reported in July 2025 but never appeared. The US listing is still the original CapCut app.
Is CapCut banned in India?
Yes. India blocked it in 2020 and it is still unavailable there in 2026. It was not on the first list of 59 apps in June 2020; it is reported to have been blocked in a follow-up order in July 2020.
Could CapCut be banned again?
We found no sign of a new ban as of September 2026. The joint venture was set up to satisfy the US law. Laws and orders can change, so it is sensible to keep your finished videos and source files backed up outside CapCut.
Keep reading
More on CapCut
- CapCut pricingPlans and cost per AI video
- CapCut alternatives
- Trending CapCut templates
- Slow motion CapCut templates
- CapCut templates for Reels
- Download CapCut templates
- Is CapCut down? Live status
- Cancel your CapCut subscription
- Is CapCut safe?
- CapCut updates
- Contact CapCut customer service
- How to use CapCut
- CapCut for Mac
Sources
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/capcut-photo-video-editor/id1500855883
- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lemon.lvoverseas&hl=en_US&gl=US
- https://newsroom.tiktok.com/announcement-from-the-new-tiktok-usds-joint-venture-llc?lang=en
- https://www.capcut.com/clause/consumer-health-data-privacy-policy?store_region=us&lang=en
- https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/extending-the-tiktok-enforcement-delay/
- https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/09/saving-tiktok-while-protecting-national-security/
- https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/09/23/2025-18482/further-extending-the-tiktok-enforcement-delay
- https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/13/tech/tiktok-us-app-store
- https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/17/tech/tiktok-trump-ban-delay
- https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/18/tik-tok-us-sale-china.html
- https://www.blackenterprise.com/tiktok-capcut-versions-us-users/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TikTok_USDS
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CapCut
- https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1635206
- https://www.capcut.com/newsroom/capcut-world-singapore
- https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-tiktok-deal-leaves-many-questions-unanswered/
- https://www.capcut.com/clause/terms-of-service
Two ways in · pick yours
Everything they charge monthly for — yours for one payment.
Pay monthly and we run the AI for you, credits included — or pay $89 once, own the app for life and bring your own keys.
Pro
Most flexibleWe run the AI for you. No API keys, nothing to set up — open the app and generate.
1,000 credits a month · cancel anytime
Secure checkout by Stripe · Cancel anytime
- About 10 UGC ads or 250 images a month
- Every video format: UGC, avatars, slideshows…
- 83 AI avatars & 76 voices in 25 languages
- Publish to TikTok, Instagram & YouTube
- 3 channels, 3 auto-channels, API included
Need more? One-time credit packs from $19. They never expire.
4.9/5 · 27,000+ users create with Hooked