First check whether you still have a clean version
If you added the text in an editing app and still have the project, delete the text layer there and export again. That is free and loses nothing. AI removal is for text that is already part of the picture:
- a Short you exported with captions and no longer have the project for,
- a clip a teammate or editor sent you as a finished MP4,
- an older upload you want to reuse with new text or none at all.
What you can remove from a Short
- Burned-in captions: word-by-word or line-by-line captions, including bold styles with a stroke or shadow.
- Hook text: the question or headline at the top of the frame that no longer fits the new post.
- Old calls to action: "Subscribe", "Part 2 on my channel", "Link in bio" or a dated offer.
- Your own handle or channel name when you move the clip to another account or platform.
Only edit Shorts you made or have permission to edit. Removing another creator's handle to repost their video can get it taken down for copyright.
Automatic or Manual mode
Automatic reads every frame and removes all the text it finds, from the first second to the last. Captions change every second or two, so this is the quickest choice for captions.
Manual is for keeping some text, on a computer or tablet. Draw a box over the text you want gone and set the seconds where it shows. A Short with a title you like and captions you don't is a Manual job: box the captions, leave the title. Everything inside a Manual box is rebuilt, including a colored caption bar behind the letters.
Tips for vertical 9:16 clips
- No crop, no zoom. The output keeps the size and aspect ratio of your upload, so it fits Shorts, TikTok and Reels without black bars.
- Text over faces is the hard case. Captions in the middle of the frame often cross a face or hands. The rebuilt area can look a little soft there, so watch those seconds in the preview.
- The preview covers the first 5 seconds. If the hardest text appears later, cut a short test clip that starts at that moment and preview it first.
- The download is an MP4 (H.264), which YouTube, TikTok and Instagram all accept.
Reusing a Short on TikTok or Reels
A Short often carries text that only makes sense on YouTube: "Subscribe", a pinned comment reference, or captions styled for YouTube's layout. Remove that text, then add new captions in the app you post to. You get one clean master file and can caption it differently for each platform.
What it costs
Shorts can run up to 3 minutes, but most are under a minute. A 45-second Short uses 45 credits. One credit is one second of video. Starter is $7.99 a month for 300 credits (about 5 minutes, up to 720p). Creator is $9.99 for the first month, then $19.99, for 1,000 credits (about 16 minutes, up to 1080p). Starter covers about six 45-second Shorts a month and Creator about twenty.