The "Thinking…" status in CapCut appears exclusively when using AI-powered features—it is not used for regular editing tasks like trimming, adding text, applying filters, or exporting videos. If you're seeing this message and it's lasting longer than expected (typically over 60–90 seconds), it means CapCut is waiting for a response from its cloud-based AI engine, and the delay is likely due to network issues, server load, input complexity, or temporary service disruptions.
As of December 2025, all three platforms support AI features that trigger the "Thinking…" state, and each provides slightly different ways to diagnose or resolve the issue.
Below is a step-by-step guide by platform.
CapCut Web
When "Thinking..." Appears:
While using web-supported AI tools such as:
- AI Image Animator
- AI Background Remover
Why It Might Hang:
- 1
- Browser extensions interfering – ad blockers or privacy tools may block API calls. 2
- Tab inactive or browser throttling – Chrome/Firefox suspend background tabs. 3
- Large file uploads timing out – especially 4K+ media uploaded directly in-browser. 4
- Shared web infrastructure under load – more users = slower AI queue.
What to Do:
- Use Chrome (latest version) with extensions disabled.
- Keep the CapCut tab active during processing.
- Pre-compress images/videos before uploading.
- If stuck > 2 minutes, refresh—but first copy the auto-saved project URL to avoid data loss.
CapCut Desktop (Windows / macOS)
When "Thinking..." Appears:
During AI-powered operations like:
- AI Image Animation
- Smart Cutout (cloud-enhanced mode)
- Text-to-Video or AI Voice Cloning (if enabled in your region)
Why It Might Hang:
- 1
- Firewall/VPN blocking cloud access – even if offline editing works. 2
- Outdated app version – older builds may use deprecated AI endpoints. 3
- System resource pressure – while AI runs in the cloud, local media prep can stall. 4
- Unsupported AI feature – some mobile-only AI tools may cause silent hangs if imported via template.
What To Do:
- Temporarily disable firewall/VPN.
- Update via Help → Check for Updates.
- Close other resource-heavy apps.
- Export project as .capcut, restart app, and re-import before retrying AI.
📍 Reminder: Desktop does not show "Thinking…" during rendering or export—only during active AI inference.
CapCut Mobile App (iOS / Android)
When "Thinking..." Appears:
Only during AI actions such as:
- Text to speech
- Animated poster (AI photo animation)
- AI Avatar / Digital Human
- AI video maker
Why It Might Hang:
- 1
- Poor or unstable internet – AI requires real-time cloud communication. 2
- Large/complex input – e.g., long prompts, high-res images, or multi-character scenes. 3
- App backgrounded or throttled – iOS/Android may pause network activity. 4
- High demand on AI servers – common during global peak usage hours.
What to Do:
- Switch to strong Wi-Fi or 5G.
- Simplify your prompt or image.
- Force-close and reopen CapCut.
- Tap Cancel, then retry with slightly modified input.
- Ensure you're on the latest app version (check App Store/Play Store).
📍 Note: Regular edits (cutting clips, adding music, etc.) never show "Thinking…"—so if you see it, you're definitely using an AI feature.
How to Confirm You're Using an AI Feature
You can ponder over the following questions：
- Did I click a button labeled "AI", "Animate", "Generate", or "Smart"?
- Is there a purple "AI" badge or sparkle icon on the tool?
- Am I converting text to video, animating a still image, or generating voice?
If yes → you're in an AI workflow, and "Thinking…" is expected.
If no → double-check: you might be misreading a different loading indicator (e.g., "Rendering…" or "Uploading…").
📌 Final Clarification
❗ "Thinking…" ONLY appears during AI-powered operations. It does NOT appear during:
- Video trimming or splitting
- Adding regular text, stickers, or music
- Exporting or rendering
- Uploading files
- Using non-AI filters or transitions
If you're seeing "Thinking…", you are definitely using an AI feature, and the delay is almost always related to cloud AI processing, not your device performance.
We sincerely appreciate your patience. CapCut's engineering team actively monitors AI latency and deploys optimizations weekly. Your reports help us improve faster!