Alex Ruben
How To Blur and Track License Plates Using CapCut on PC
Honestly, trying to obscure a moving license plate in a video without it looking half-assed can be a nightmare. CapCut’s motion tracking tools are decent but not perfect, and sometimes it feels like you’re fighting with the software rather than working with it. This isn’t about perfection—more like making it look decent enough so someone watching won’t immediately see the number. If you’ve tried just throwing a blur over the plate and hoped it stays put, you probably noticed it falls apart pretty fast when the car zooms or turns. So, here’s a workable way to blurt out that plate and have it kinda follow the vehicle as it moves, using CapCut’s built-in features and a little manual finesse.
Following this method will help you create a track that stays over the plate without requiring some fancy third-party plugin. Just a few tweaks, patience, and maybe some frustration, and you’ll get there. When done right, it’s pretty satisfying to see that license plate stay blurred through all the weird angles and sudden moves. Not perfect, but good enough for most privacy needs. Let’s dive into the steps that have actually worked on a few setups, and see what kind of results you can get.
How to Blur and Track a License Plate in CapCut on PC
Apply the Blur and Prepare to Track
– Open CapCut on your PC. If you don’t have it yet, grab the latest version from the official site. It’s free, but don’t expect it to be super stable all the time.
– Drag your video into CapCut’s media library. Then, drop it into the timeline. You might want to duplicate your clip (drag it again above the original) — because sometimes you mess up the mask or tracking, and having the original untouched helps.
– Select the top clip and go to the Effects tab at the top. Search for “blur” — you’re looking for a simple blur effect. Drag it onto your clip. If it’s not perfect, don’t worry, you’ll tweak it later.
– Adjust the blur strength in the right panel (try 20-30%). On some machines, this might not be enough; on others, it’s too much. Aim for a blur that’s obvious but not so heavy it looks weird.
Mask the License Plate First
– Click on the clip, then hit the Mask button. Usually in the corner or in the editing menu.
– Hit Add Mask and pick Rectangle.
– Resize and position the mask over the license plate. Zoom in if needed—because it gets tricky to line stuff up when the footage is small.
– Keep an eye on the mask; you’ll want it tight but not cutting out too much of the vehicle.
Start Tracking the Moving Plate
– Scroll down to see the Track Mask option in the right menu.
– Set the direction to “Both” (or “Horizontal” if you want, but “Both” usually covers more).
– Hit Track. CapCut will now attempt to create keyframes that follow the mask and, by extension, the license plate.
– This part is kind of hit or miss. Some clips track smoothly on the first try. Others jump or lose the plate halfway. You might need to manually fine-tune.
Fine-Tune the Tracking & Masking
– Play through the video. Watch how the mask tracks the plate. If it slips off during fast turns or zooms, pause.
– Adjust the mask’s position or size frame-by-frame. CapCut doesn’t do this automatically, so you have to add keyframes manually.
– To do that, hit where the mask looks off, move the mask rectangle to the right position, then add a keyframe (probably by clicking “Add Keyframe” or manually adjusting). Repeat as needed.
– Sometimes, on the same footage, you’ll notice flickering or jumping. Patience and small tweaks are key.
Adjust the Mask Edges and Make it Blend
– Feather the mask edges for softer blurring. More feathering helps hide any rough edges or tracking hiccups.
– Round the corners of the mask if possible. It makes the blur less harsh and more natural.
– Play back the clip to make sure the blurred area sticks to the plate as much as possible.
Extra Tips & Dealing with Frustration
– Sometimes, the tracking “fails” after a while. If that happens, just reset the mask position and re-track from that point onward. It’s kind of annoying, but it helps.
– If the blur is not enough or too blurry, tweak the effect’s intensity, or increase feathering.
– Not sure why, but on some setups, the first tracking seems to mess up, but it gets better after a reboot or after restarting CapCut. Of course, Windows has to make it harder than necessary.
Extra Tips & Common Stuff to Watch Out For
If the blurred area looks stiff or jumps around, consider small manual adjustments on keyframes. Also, keep your zoom level high when positioning masks—that makes it easier to get a tight fit. Sometimes, CapCut’s auto-tracking just refuses to cooperate, and in those cases, you’ll have to do a lot of manual corrections—or accept the imperfections.
Wrap-up & What Else
Getting this to look good enough takes some patience. The main trick is to set that mask early and then do some manual corrections as needed. The tracking isn’t perfect, and sometimes you’ll just have to accept small jumps or flickering, but overall, it’s doable. CapCut isn’t a dedicated tracking tool, so don’t expect Hollywood-level precision, but for simple privacy blurring, it usually works fine.
Summary
- Use a duplicate video layer for masking and blurring.
- Apply a reasonable blur effect.
- Mask the license plate area tightly, then track.
- Manually adjust keyframes if the mask loses the plate.
- Feather and soften the mask edges for a better look.
Conclusion
Overall, this isn’t magic, but it’s pretty close for a free program. With a bit of patience and some manual tweaks, you can keep that license plate hidden pretty reliably. On some videos, it takes more fiddling than others, but the core process stays the same. Hopefully, this shaves off a few hours for someone trying to do the same thing without losing their mind.