Photo Credit: appshunter.io
TikTok owner ByteDance has plans to release a US-specific version of its video editing app CapCut as a TikTok deal draws nearer.
Reports have surfaced that China-based ByteDance is creating a US-specific version of TikTok in order to comply with the federal divest-or-ban law passed last year—and it looks like TikTok isn’t the only app getting the treatment. Popular video editing app CapCut, also owned by ByteDance, will be getting an American version called CapCut US, according to documents viewed by Business Insider.
CapCut has become a key tool in the kit of many professional creators and even everyday social media users. The video app provides viral templates and other editing features to create short-form video content across all platforms—from TikTok to Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. The app has been downloaded over a billion times on the Google Play store alone, and is currently the top app for photo and video in Apple’s US app store.
It’s not yet clear if ByteDance plans to make US versions of all its apps, such as the Instagram and Pinterest-style platform Lemon8, or its education app Gauth. All of these will notably be subject to the same divestment requirements as TikTok and CapCut, but are not nearly as popular with US users.
It’s been a long road for ByteDance, who challenged the 2024 law in court but lost its case in the Supreme Court in January. The day after his inauguration, President Trump granted the company another 90-day extension to prevent its shuttering in the US until a deal could be secured. He has since extended the deadline two more times.
Several names have emerged as potential bidders for TikTok’s US assets, but any possible deal was put on the back-burner in the face of Trump’s harsh tariffs on Chinese goods. Last month, Trump told Fox News that he had a group of “very wealthy people” interested in a deal, with discussions to continue with China this week. A deal surrounding TikTok would require approval from both the US and China.
Even if the deal moves forward, many questions remain regarding the future of TikTok in the US—and CapCut too. Will the US versions still include content and templates from those outside the US? Will separate apps even satisfy the national security concerns that pushed Congress to pass the divestment law in the first place? Who will have access to TikTok’s highly coveted algorithms?
It’s also unclear how much of a hurdle ByteDance will encounter in getting Americans to switch to new versions of its apps. Plans to shutter the original TikTok app in the country starting in March of next year will certainly help on that front. But competition for the attention of devoted users remains at a premium, and companies making efforts to compete—like Meta’s CapCut-like app called Edits—haven’t been nearly as well received.
